A new restaurant could be on the way to Smithdown Road under plans submitted to the council.An applicant is seeking permission to transform a vacant shop at the top of Penny Lane into a food and drink venue called ‘Nicky’s’.The new eatery is envisioned as having a “warm contemporary feel” with a design which utilises the original shop front and sits “happily within the street scene”.Diagrams included in the planning application suggest Nicky’s will be a large establishment, with two dining areas occupying 376 and 377 Smithdown Road.