A senior planning officer is recommending approval of an application for a 14-bedrooom extension to a Lochaber hotel, despite objections from local people that it would be too big.
Highland Council received six letters of objection to the proposal for the Cruachan Hotel in Achintore Road, Fort William, and an objection from Fort William Community Council, which has since disbanded.
Concerns raised included the size of the proposed two-storey extension and the design and materials, which objectors said were not in keeping with the original Victorian building and would result in over-development of the site.
There were also fears that it would result in a loss of light and privacy for neighbouring properties.
Agent Bill MacDonald, of WA MacDonald Building Design Ltd, of Inverness, who submitted the application to demolish the existing single-storey extension at the rear of the hotel and replace it with a larger one, which would take the number of letting room from 53 to 64, said good design principles were being adopted.
He added that any impact on visual amenity would be minimised and the privacy and amenity of local residents would remain unaffected.
In a report to be considered by Highland Council’s south planning applications committee on Tuesday, area planning manager Allan Todd says the proposal is in line with planning policy and recommends approval.
He wrote: “Whilst the site would be likely to be nearing capacity with the proposed extension, this proposal would not be considered over-development.”
Mr Todd said the extension would not be prominent from the front as it would be largely obscured by the original hotel building.
And he said the overall impact on neighbours’ amenity was considered acceptable.