A Blairgowrie laundry says it will fight the council’s order for it to close within two months.
Perth and Kinross Council has refused GlenClean’s application to convert a building on Keay Street for industrial use.
This was despite the business already being in operation since September 2022.
The company has been given a two-month deadline to cease trading.
But GlenClean says it will appeal the decision having claimed to have only received complaints since April 2023.
However, the plans received 17 objections and nine letters of support.
GlenClean is a laundry service in the Perthshire town and also has a site on High Street.
Why were the plans rejected?
According to Perth and Kinross Council’s decision notice, the proposal was deemed incompatible with the existing quiet residential surroundings.
It also claimed that permitting industrial use would not fit in with the surroundings.
This is despite, according to the report of handling, environmental health providing no objection on noise grounds.
However, this came with conditions – including that doors had to be shut at all times.
The council felt this would be hard to enforce.
It was also feared that granting a change of use would open it up to being used by noisier businesses should GlenClean vacate.
Blairgowrie firm to appeal decision
GlenClean refused to say how much has been spent on the laundry and a possible relocation but confirmed it was a “significant sum”.
The company said that measures would be in place to prevent noise pollution, and emphasised that environmental health had not raised an objection.
It also highlighted that the plan raised no objection from transport planning and was found to fit in with the conservation area.
GlenClean also claimed that it invited neighbours to the site and to visit their properties to hear the noise – but were not approached.
A spokesperson added: “Whilst we appreciate the complainers’ comments we would have liked to address them face to face rather than behind a keyboard.
“We were never invited to the community council meeting to discuss their areas of concern before they added an objection – they all forget we are also part of ‘the community’, live and try to work here.
“We will be appealing this refusal, as we have spent a considerable amount of time and money setting up here, and we are a very small business so moving will cost us a lot financially, but is that a concern to anyone other than ourselves?”
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