PLANS to convert a shop unit in Arrochar into “budget accommodation” have been lodged with the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority.
Applicant Michael Slaven is seeking permission to convert the former Arrochar Flowers shop on Main Street in the village, which has lain empty since the business closed in 2014, into a one-bedroom flat.
A supporting statement lodged with Mr Slaven’s application says that he bought the property at auction in 2016, six months after it was put up for sale, and that the proposals “promote efficient and sustainable use of land” by creating a small scale one-bedroom flat within an unused property.
The National Park’s planning policies include a general presumption against the change of use of existing retail units, but the statement in support of Mr Slaven’s application says that the long time the shop has been empty demonstrates that retaining the unit for its current use is not viable.
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