A NEW café/wine bar is on its way to Cradley after planners gave the proposal the thumbs up.

An empty unit on Maypole Fields will be transformed into a café and wine bar.

The site is next to an existing double decker bus, which operates as Soul Inah Bowl, serving Caribbean fusion street food.

Notes by planners at Dudley Council state that the bus will be kept and will be used for a food prep area on the ground floor, with seating on the first floor.

They go on to say: "This application proposes a change of use from the existing unit to a café/wine bar and the retention of the double decker bus to be used for catering and associated decking."

A design and access statement states: "The proposed café/wine bar is to compliment the present established static bus dining experience."

Planners said in a report that the bus has "been in situ for at least eight years without objection and provides a unique feature within the street scene."

The report goes on to say: "The development is acceptable in both siting and design and would provide a form of development that stimulates economic and social benefits for the local area.

"The development would therefore provide benefits that outweigh the visual impact of the bus on site."

The report states the premises can't open to the public before 5pm or after 11pm Monday to Friday and not before 9am nor after 11pm on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays.

Conditions state the external drinking can't open before 5pm or after 10pm Monday to Friday and not before 9am or after 11pm on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays.

The application was given the go-ahead on October 18.