A KNUTSFORD eatery has been granted a restaurant licence by the council after a six year battle with the authorities planners.

Parma on Regent Street – previously known as Via Via – has been in place since the development was built but its owners were only granted an A1/A3 licence as Cheshire East Council wanted to limit the number of outlets serving food on the street when it first opened.

Originally Via Via was a deli/coffee shop but changed to Parma in March 2013.

But owner Marco Dellapina told the Guardian this week that a full A3 restaurant licence had been granted after six years of trying.

“It has taken years to be honest and hundreds of hours of paperwork and meetings and thousands of pounds spent on expert's reports and surveys but we have finally got there,” he said.

“I got the e-mail yesterday and I have still not had a chance to properly take it all in but I am very excited and already re-writing the menu to include fish, shell fish, beef, lamb and pork dishes; now that we have a full restaurant licence it seems only right to have a full restaurant menu.”

“We were just pizza, pasta and chopping boards before but now we are going to re-launch as Parma the Restaurant; we will be the only Italian restaurant in Knutsford that is actually owned and run by Italians, truly independent and truly Italian.”

“We want to prepare food as it is done in Italy with the traditional ingredients and recipes and making everything fresh on the premises every day.”

Parma teamed up with Amber Lounge last year to open a restaurant above the nightspot.

What do you think about PARMA being granted a full restaurant licence? Email the newsdesk at yourviews@guardiangrp.co.uk or leave a comment below.