Welcome to Planning Ahead – our weekly round-up of the latest proposals across Moray.
Sit back and enjoy all of the most interesting planning news.
In this week’s edition, plans have been dropped to turn a guest house into apartments.
Opening hours have been revealed for a new Elgin High Street takeaway.
There is a sense of mystery over Pizza Hut coming to Elgin after plans were withdrawn.
But first, we look at plans refused to expand Riverview Country Park in Forres.
REFUSED: Expansion for Riverview Country Park
Plans to add 78 static caravan pitches at Riverview Country Park in Forres have been refused.
The new pitches with decking were proposed on an area of land on the southern boundary of the park on Mundole Court.
The campsite and caravan park is currently up for sale with a price tag of £5.5 million.
However, planning chiefs have rejected the “unacceptable” plans.
They say majority of the proposed site is on greenfield land that hasn’t been identified for expansion in the Moray Local Development Plan.
LATEST: The arrival of a new Elgin High Street takeaway
In October we first revealed plans to transform the former antiques shop on Elgin High Street, which was most recently Wink and MacKenzie estate agents, into a new takeaway.
Athmane Ziane is behind the proposals to breathe new life into the property at 35 High Street.
The drawings include a doner kebab machine and pizza oven.
Some neighbours have previously raised concerns the new takeaway could be smelly and parking issues.
The plans are still awaiting a decision about whether planning permission will be approved or rejected.
However, the proposed hours have been revealed to be Thursdays and Sundays from 4pm to 11pm and on Saturdays from 4pm to 1am.
SUBMITTED: Caretakers house near Lossiemouth golf course
Plans were previously approved to build a caretakers house on land at the Covesea Links Golf Course near Lossiemouth.
Now Mr and Mrs Andy and Angela Burnett want to make design amendments to the home which is still be built.
Reynolds Architecture Ltd have submitted new drawing impressions on behalf of the couple.
WITHDRAWN: Norland guest house plans
There were previously proposals to turn Norland House in Lossiemouth into six separate apartments.
The property on Stotfield Road has been operated successfully as a bed and breakfast business for more than 20 years.
Some neighbours raised concerns about road safety and viewed the plans as an overdevelopment.
However, architects CM Design argued the proposals would help tackle the shortage of smaller local properties and protect a traditional building from demolition for generations to come.
They represented Barney Harris in the plans, which have now been withdrawn.
WITHDRAWN: Pizza plans for Elgin High Street
In November, we first revealed Kirkcaldy-based Glenshire Group wanted to transform an empty unit at 228 Elgin High Street into a Pizza Hut.
It was planned primarily to be a delivery service.
Drawings showed a waiting area for customers with six seats included too.
The ground floor unit had been the long-term home of Ultimate Hair and Beauty in the west end of the town centre since 2007.
The plans were welcomed by local Pizza Hut fans.
Proposed opening hours were on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 11pm.
However, the council’s transportation department argued the location is unsuitable for deliveries and could lead to unsafe parking and traffic issues.
What is happening now?
But now, the council’s planning website shows that the proposal to transform the vacant building have been withdrawn.
This could mean a few things, and not necessarily that Pizza Hut isn’t coming to Elgin anymore.
Sometimes, plans can be withdrawn for them to be tweaked to address specific concerns.
On these occasions, they will be re-submitted in due course, with some explanation as to how and why the blueprints have been altered.
Glenshire Group, which already runs a number of Pizza Hut franchises across Scotland, was contacted to comment.
Are you going to be submitting interesting plans? Get in touch at sean.mcangus@ajl.co.uk
Latest Moray planning roundups:
- Buckie businessman’s expansion plans for Elgin car dealership move forward
- Leading Scottish law firm could give two-storey Elgin office building a makeover
- New dentist practice could open as part of Elgin’s Findrassie housing development
- Canadian-owned company set to come to Elgin Business Park
- Church could be transformed by supermarket
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