A PLAN for a city centre block of flats has got the go-ahead.

Developers won planning permission to build a five storey building at the back of East Street in Southampton.

It will contain 12 two-bedroom flats and four one-bedroom ones and have a contemporary style using glazed panelling.

But the hearing heard fears from Elias Maraziotis, who runs Elias Restaurant in the city’s Canal Street, about the impact it will have on his business, which he has run for the past 25 years.

He said: “We have found it difficult in the last few years with the recession to carry on the restaurant business and now, with this proposal we will find it difficult.

“It is going to affect the lunch time business during construction due to noise and pollution and also a loss of light. It will be a lot of heavy lorries and machinery.”

But the plan was passed unanimously by councillors on the city’s planning committee.

Councillor Matthew Claisse said: “I thought this would be relatively straight forward until this speaker came up.

“I hope they will do everything they can, that the process of putting up this building will run as smoothly as possible, while this business is trying to operate.”