A FORMER Helensburgh coffee shop is set to become a restaurant after council officials gave plans the go-ahead.

The premises at 60-61 West Clyde Street, between the Clyde Bar and the Magic Wok, were most recently home to Catherine’s Coffee Shop.

Argyll and Bute Council planning officers have now decided to allow the plans for the restaurant, submitted by Nyik Kim Hen, to proceed.

Documents submitted with the planning application do not specify what type of restaurant is planned for the seafront premises.

A council planning officer said in a handling report: “It is noted that while the description notes change of use, there is no formal change of use to a different use class as both a tea shop and a restaurant are considered to be class 3 (food and drink).

“The property has been vacant for a number of years. The proposals requiring express planning permission are installation of flue to rear elevation and alteration to the shop frontage/street elevation.

“The proposed flue is located within the rear courtyard and on the rear elevation which forms part of a previous single storey ground floor extension. The flue is a typical aluminium restaurant flue.

“Environmental health have raised no objections to the flue but have stipulated that it must terminate one metre above the eaves [overhanging roof] of the property.

“The proposed alterations to the shop frontage/street elevation are installation of traditional half height timber infill panels to the existing full height areas of glazing.”

The officer added: “When considering all applications the residential amenity of surrounding residents must be taken into consideration.

“It is inevitable that residents in this area already experience a certain amount of noise and disturbance with the street located within the designated town centre.

“The site itself is a vacant ground floor retail unit on a street of commercial properties at ground floor level with residential generally above.

“While it is understandable that there will be concerns with smell and increased level of activity, this is a town centre location where this is to be expected.

“Given the proposed location is within the town centre and the area environmental health manager is satisfied with the proposals in principle, it is considered that the development accords with this policy.”

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