A NEW restaurant could be heading to the Old Town area of Swindon if it is given planning permission by the council. 

Aldred Rodriques, the director of Kutting Chai - Bombay Street Food, has applied to turn the now empty former Coral betting shop into a new exciting destination for local food lovers. 

The application is asking Swindon Borough Council to greenlight a change of use for the 117 Victoria Road site to a restaurant/takeaway and to add a flue to the rear of the property.

Swindon Advertiser: Bombay street food-style restaurant Kutting Chai was opened by two five star chefs with one being Aldred Rodrigues Bombay street food-style restaurant Kutting Chai was opened by two five star chefs with one being Aldred Rodrigues

No details have been revealed about exactly what the new restaurant will be but plans indicate it will bring six full-time and three part-time jobs to the town and will be open from 8am to 11pm Monday through to Sunday. 

In addition to this, staff at the existing Kutting Chai restaurant located in Swindon town centre confirmed that they would be remaining open at their Regent Circus address. 

They added that it would not be another Kutting Chai opening in the new Old Town location, but rather, something different - with some speculation suggesting it could be a cocktail bar with Asian and Spanish tapas and live music. 

A decision is yet to be made on whether or not to greenlight the new venture, but both the council's Highways department and South Swindon Parish Council have been consulted on the proposal and have indicated they have no objections to it. 

Swindon Advertiser: Inside the empty betting shop on Victoria RoadInside the empty betting shop on Victoria Road (Image: Kilpatrick and Co)

Swindon Advertiser: Floor plans for the new restaurantFloor plans for the new restaurant (Image: Swindon Borough Council)However, senior transport development management engineer Chelsey Lucas has added two caveats in her response - suggesting that plans for two car parking spaces are enacted and then they are maintained going forward, and there needs to be an allocated space for four bicycles. 

The building was listed on Kilpatrick and Co for a £350,000 freehold and is listed as 'sold' on the still-existing page on the website. 

The description said: "The property is situated in a prominent spot in Victoria Road on the edge of the Old Town area of Swindon.

"Victoria Road includes a number of independent retailers, a Morrisons convenience store and a number of restaurants and pubs.

"Public car parks are available nearby in Prospect Place and the rear of Wood Street."

Kutting Chai opened on Morley Street in 2019 but increased demand prompted a move to its current Regent Circus location. 

It won the MTM Good Food Award in 2020 and was a finalist for the MTM Best Restaurant Award in the same year, and in 2022 won a Trip Advisor Travelers Choice award for best restaurant.