Plans to turn a former bank in Comrie into a takeaway have been given the green light.
The former Royal Bank of Scotland in the centre of the Perthshire village closed in December 2018, despite backlash from locals and politicians.
The C-listed building has been empty ever since but will now been given a new lease of life.
Plans were approved in 2020 to turn the building on Drummond Street into three flats, but work on this never started.
This permission remains in place for the two floors above the proposed restaurant as the new planning application only affects the former bank on the ground floor.
Nine public objections were lodged against the takeaway plans, submitted by Perthshire businessman Arif Minhas.
They cited concerns over character, loss of amenity, the impact on parking, road safety, the impact on a listed building, the impact on conservation area, waste, noise and the plans being contrary to the local development plan.
Despite this, a report alongside the application by David Littlejohn, head of planning at Perth and Kinross Council, said it will boost the local economy by bringing an empty building back into use.
It said: “The re-use of the ground floor will bring some commercial activity to an area where there are other commercial premises.
“The proposal is likely to have a positive economic impact by introducing a new
business to the area, bringing a vacant unit back in to a practical use.
“This will also bring the potential for employment opportunities.”
Mr Minhas has also been granted listed building consent for the physical works required to turn the bank into a takeaway.”
Conversation