Scotland is in lockdown. Businesses are closing and newspaper sales are falling fast. We're not exaggerating when we say that the future of the Advertiser, and the vital local news service we've provided to Helensburgh and Lomond for the last 62-and-a-half years, is under serious threat as a result.
We're asking you to please consider supporting the Advertiser in whatever way you can – by paying just 95p for a copy of the paper, when you're shopping for essential supplies for yourself and others, or by subscribing to our e-edition here.
Thanks – and stay safe.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
PLANS have been to turn a former restaurant in the centre of Helensburgh into a flat after the property was gutted by fire nearly four years ago.
Applicant Antony Craig has asked Argyll and Bute Council for permission to convert the site of the former Akash Indian restaurant, above Ladbrokes on the corner of Sinclair Street and West Princes Street.,
Architects The Hay Partnership, acting on behalf of Mr Craig and his partner Auriane Janet, say in a statement lodged with the application, that they had bought the vacant property at auction with a view to converting it into a three-bedroomed flat.
The property became a restaurant, then known as The Sangam, in the early 1970s. It later became the Akash, but has been unoccupied since a devastating blaze in June 2016.
READ MORE: Man taken to hospital after fire rips through Akash Indian restaurant in Helensburgh
A decision is expected from the council by the middle of May, although it is unknown what effect the current lockdown due to coronavirus will have on the process.
The Hay Partnership’s supporting statement said: “The applicants have recently returned to Helensburgh after living in France for a decade or so and in the last couple of months managed to purchase the premises at auction.
“The applicants have a young son and daughter and hope to fully renovate the building, including external improvements, to create a three-bedroomed flat.
“The application site constitutes the entire upper floor of the two-storey premises, with the open-plan former restaurant dining room to the south and the former kitchens and bathrooms to the north/rear.
“Whilst it is perhaps unfortunate that the employment and commercial activity generated by the restaurant has been lost, the fact that the premises have lain vacant for over three years presumably indicates that there is sufficient restaurant provision within the town.”
The architects’ statement concludes: “Overall it is believed that the application offers a positive means of bringing back into productive use a building that has lain vacant for over three years.
“It will also constitute a significant investment in terms of refurbishment and thermal efficiency that will ensure the future of the property for future decades.
“It will do so in a manner that accords with housing and town centre regeneration policies with no apparent negative aspects.
“It is therefore anticipated that after assessment Argyll and Bute Council will be supportive of the proposal and will be prepared to grant planning permission.”
READ MORE: Click here for all the latest news stories from across Helensburgh and Lomond
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here