A planning application for a café on Loch Etive waterfront will be discussed at a meeting of Argyll and Bute Council today.
The cafe building and drive-thru takeaway proposed for Connel will offer a space for the community to meet, as well as year-round employment.
If the application is approved, there are plans for a viewpoint of the loch, seating, and interpretive signs.
The property will have views over Connel Bridge.
But due to an Argyll and Bute Council policy on green spaces, and previous applications for the waterfront in Connel being rejected, the applicant Shaun Sinclair believes convincing the council might be an uphill battle.
Café application was not supported by Connel Community Council
Mr Sinclair first proposed the development in 2022, but it wasn’t supported by Connel Community Council, in the face of strong local support.
The meeting of Argyll and Bute Council is due to hear the application at the area’s planning committee.
It has been set for rejection, due to the cafe location and current planning guidelines.
Mr Sinclair said he hoped that with enough community support, the councillors may hold a planning meeting in Connel for the application.
The businessman hopes he can overturn the council officer’s recommendation.
He is urging people to watch the planning application discussion online.
In the planning papers due to be assessed by the planning and licensing committee it says: “At the time of writing, representations have been received by the planning authority from 165 respondents in relation to this planning application.
“44 respondents raise an objection, 120 provide support and one submits a representation.”
It reveals that of the 120 expressions of support, 66 of were submitted to the
applicant during a community council meeting held on May 9 2022, and
then passed to the council.
Fergus Murray, the head of development and economic growth at Argyll and Bute Council, said the application should be refused.
In the papers, he writes: “The open space protection area (OSPA) in question is an area of land which is considered to provide visual amenity functions rather than recreational functions.”
Proposal does not meet the planning criteria in Argyll
He said the proposal could not be considered under exceptional circumstances for the site, as it did not meet them.
The paper continued: “The OSPA has been designated to provide visual amenity functions by helping preserve the open aspect on the seaward side of the A85 and with it, public views across Loch Etive.
“The OSPA forms part of the wider network of OSPAs alongside Loch Etive that, together, provide the wider function of preserving the undeveloped aspect of the shore side of the road.
“The development of the subject of this application would introduce built development and infrastructure into a greenfield site that has been designated as an OSPA for its
visual amenity functions which would result in an adverse environmental impact
eroding the open aspect of the site and the associated public views.”
He added: “It is not considered that the proposed development would constitute an appropriate departure to national or local planning policy.”
