Highland councillors have voted to allow an extension to a popular Skye cafe, despite planners recommending it for refusal.
The Galley Seafood Cafe and Takeaway in Earlish, near Portree, applied for planning permission to extend its premises.
However, Highland Council planners said the extension would take the cafe too close to a neighbouring house currently under construction.
They also said there was not enough parking on site.
Newly-elected Skye councillor Ruraidh Stewart branded the objection “nonsense” and won a motion to grant permission.
Why did the council object?
The cafe requested permission to build a 13.7 metre by 7 metre extension to the existing building. The application also sought retrospective permission for a storage unit and covered walkway already on site.
The existing cafe is located off the north side of the A87, next to the applicant’s own home. The planned extension would take in land to the north, where a new house is currently under construction.
Highland Council planners said the extension would bring the cafe closer to the neighbouring home, reducing the separation distance from 25 metres to 14.
The gable end of the new house has two windows facing the cafe, and the council said it needs to protect neighbour amenity.
The planning report also stated that existing parking outside the cafe was provided under relaxed Covid rules. Any new extension would require 12 additional car parking spaces, rather than the eight extra spaces proposed in the application.
Transport Scotland did not formally object, but did raise concern about potential parking within the boundaries of the trunk road.
Family neighbours
Despite the council’s concerns, none of the neighbouring properties complained about the cafe extension.
Why? Because the same family owns the entire area in question, including the house under construction next door.
With this fact in mind, the discussion quickly became a matter of common sense versus planning policy.
Chairman Drew Millar rather pointedly asked planners if they had “bothered speaking” to the owners of the new house. Planning officers said there was nobody there to ask during the site visit, but agreed that the family member was unlikely to complain.
In any case, the council consulted all neighbouring homes and received no objections.
However, planning bosses reminded members that policy must look to the future, not just the current circumstances.
‘If you object to living near a cafe, you won’t buy a house next to a cafe’
Local member Ruraidh Stewart did not hold back.
“I think it’s a nonsense… to say ‘going forward, in the future, at some point, someone may object to this being next to a cafe.’
“If you object to living near a cafe, you’re not going to buy a house next to a cafe. I don’t think that’s any material reason to reject this application.”
The chairman backed his view, stating that the whole area is owned by one family and he hoped they would “live long and happy lives”.
Council leader Raymond Bremner issued what he called a “cautionary note” to the committee, pointing out that planning officials have to hold to planning policy.
However, Mr Stewart brought a motion to approve, and won unanimously.
Councillors granted permission, with the caveat that a parking plan is drawn up for consideration.
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