A famous former restaurant on the A3, once rumoured to be about to become a brothel and strip club, looks set to become a drive-through cafe.

Rumours have circulated for many years about what goes on at the former San Domenico restaurant on the A3 near the Painshill roundabout.

At one point a strip club and brothel was rumoured to be coming to the site, which has been vacant for 20 years, then people were certain it was a Mafia headquarters and there was also a theory the government was using it as a secret bunker.

But now, Elmbridge Council has granted planning permission for London Investment Holdings ltd, through agents Pegasus Planning Group Ltd, to revise vehicle access and parking to facilitate a drive-through cafe in the coach house part of the site.

In the application, "hot food takeaways" are listed as the type of use for the proposal.

In a letter to the council, Colin Virtue, a director at Pegasus, said the group had experience working with coffee shops and confirmed "the prospective occupier of the building is likely to be one the multi-national coffee shop franchises".

He added the proposal was not intended to cause adverse impacts on the amenities of local people, because it will be located outside the town centre.

Councillor Dorothy Mitchell, representing Cobham and Downside, said: "I am pleased that this site which has been empty for years will be used.

"My concern would be access into the A3, as since this site was last used the M25 is in full use and the amount of traffic on the A3 has vastly increased and moves at speed at this section with drivers moving into the left lane to access the Painshill roundabout."

"Can this really be made safe?"

A Surrey County Council Highways letter to Elmbridge Council as part of the application said the authority had looked at the application and found no objections on safety, capacity or policy grounds.

Matt Heenan, Cannabis Is Safer Than Alcohol (Cista) parliamentary candidate for Esher and Walton, said "as long as it gets utilised" the development plan was good news.