A north-east fishing village is to be stripped of its only shop and Post Office to make way for a Chinese takeaway.
A number of Gourdon residents had opposed the plans claiming it would be a “horrendous loss for the community”
But members of the Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee backed the proposals to change the use of the shop on Brae Road into a hot food takeaway.
The decision to replace the store now means Gourdon residents will have to travel to nearby Inverbervie to buy any essential shopping items.
Before the meeting the council received eight objections to the plans from local residents.
Concerns raised over loss of facilities
They raised concerns about the loss of the shop and Post Office facilities, road safety, lack of parking and the impact on neighbouring properties.
In their objection one resident said: “The village needs a shop and Post Office, losing this will be a horrendous loss for the community and will negatively impact the residents of Gourdon.”
Meanwhile another resident said: “Gourdon is home to many elderly residents who rely on both the shop and Post Office for their daily needs.”
But local authority planners recommended the development be granted permission as it met planning policy.
They said it would not have any adverse impact on amenity as conditions were in place to control noise and odour.
Community ‘split in half’ over the decision
Councillor George Carr said: “From the community point of view, I think they’re just very disappointed to be losing a shop.
“The Community Council has done quite a bit of consultation around Gourdon itself and it seems to be that the community is split, half are in favour of a new hot takeaway outlet and the other half are disappointed to see a shop go.”
However, Mr Carr said the application met council policy and moved for the plan to be approved.
Fellow councillor Jeff Hutchison agreed and added: “It’s very sad to see the village shop go and the Post Office disappear but on balance, the planning officers have got it right.”
The new takeaway is expected to be open from 11am to 11pm seven days a week.
Under the plans the existing Post Office counter will be removed to form an office while the retail space will be transformed to feature a kitchen, serving area and waiting room.
A flue and fan will be installed on the roof of the building for the kitchen extraction system.