A famous north-east shop has announced plans to expand after submitting an application to the local authority.
Banff’s Spotty Bag Shop is asking Aberdeenshire Council to approve proposals to increase floor space and create a storage area away from the elements.
The Spotty Bag Shop – made famous for its distinctive carrier bags featuring dozens of spots – is one of the largest independent convenience shops in the north-east and has more than 50 members of staff.
The extension to the shop, which has been likened to Aladdin’s cave, would create 6,753sqft of new floor space, while a roof would also be installed over its outdoor garden centre.
No new car parking spaces would be created.
The local authorities roads service has made no comment on the application so far which was submitted this week.
Members of the public have until December 7 to make their own comments on the plans.
Earlier this year, plastic bags from the Spotty Bag Shop were sighted being used more than 8,000 miles away on the Falklands Islands.
Joan Spruce has been travelling from the remote South Atlantic to the north-east for almost a quarter of a century to pick up items she cannot find back home.
And the 68-year-old always makes a point of stocking up on the famous sturdy spotty bags, so she can put them to good use in all kinds of ways.
“The spotty bags are used as packaging for things in the boxes and are reused in the islands for a multitude of purposes,” she said.
“We always have a spotty bag in the rucksack, ready to whip out at a moment’s notice.”
The shop’s owner, Des Cheyne, has been vocal about the need for more attractions in Banff, and has likened his shop to a tourist destination.
“But it’s not just about us, it’s about the town as a whole,” he said.
“There’s no industry left here in Banff and Macduff so tourism probably is the last throw of the dice.
“If everyone can pull together and encourage people to come it can only help.”