A popular restaurant could close after retrospective permission for its terrace was refused by Trafford Council.

Cibo in Hale received approval for the use of the external area last year, although not for the steel structure since added to the top of it.

The popular restaurant on Victoria Road, which is in the Hale Station Conservation Area, applied for retrospective permission for this structure on the terrace over the summer this year.

Management said the 10 tables it accommodated led to a 40 per cent increase in covers which was essential to the survival of Cibo, given the impact of coronavirus and the cost of living.

At a meeting of the Planning and Development Management Committee last week, the owner of the restaurant apologised to members and explained the decision to act without approval.

He said: "The actions I took are regrettable. They were done as a last resort in order to save the business.

"I was presented with three avenues. To close the business, to double the prices, or to increase the covers.

"Despite Hale being a wealthy area, charging £40 per bowl of pasta would be unacceptable and unsustainable. Increasing the covers seemed the only option."

The officer responsible for the application acknowledged the argument of the owner of the restaurant, as well as 54 letters in support of him from residents, but said these were of limited importance in the circumstances.

They recommended members of the Planning and Development Management Committee to refuse the application on the basis of its appearance and character, as well as of its harm to the Hale Station Conservation Area.

The recommendation said: "The Local Planning Authority should not be held to ransom over or be expected to mitigate a developer's risk through a grant of planning permission for otherwise unacceptable development.

"This is an argument that could be repeated by every business as a means of trying to secure a planning permission that might not otherwise be forthcoming."

On November 10, after almost an hour of consideration, the committee agreed to refuse the application by a slim margin of two votes.

The external area can be used, but the steel structure should be removed. If Cibo closes, more than 60 jobs are believed to be affected.

This article was written by Jack Tooth. Jack is the reporter for The Messenger and covers anything and everything from within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford.

To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.