Welcome to Planning Ahead – our weekly round-up of the latest proposals across Moray.
Sit back and enjoy this week’s planning news.
Plans for work to transform a unused office above coffee giants Costa in the Elgin town centre is in here.
And a homeowner is set to rebuild their house for a second time.
Exciting new details have emerged about the transformation of Burghead Parish Church.
A former shop in Forres is set to be torn down.
APPROVED: End for boarded-up Forres shop
For seven years, the Nicholson Building on St Catherine’s Road in Forres has lain empty.
This well-known building was originally used as coachbuilders dating back to 1985.
It was last used as a picture framing shop before closing in 2018.
Now a building warrant has been approved to knock down the building.
Liam and Eileen Wood are behind the work which could cost around £30,000.
This site was previously marketed as a ‘wonderful development opportunity’.
APPROVED: New dog grooming salon
Garry Murdoch has been given the go-ahead to convert a garage at a Buckie home into a dog grooming salon.
The garage is at a home located at 14 Park Grove.
This business will run from 9am to 6pm from Monday to Friday and the occasional Saturday.
There will be two staff members and a maximum of eight clients per day.
The groomers will work alternate hours.
However, they will have to work together if they’re dealing with a large breed for “paired lifting”.
APPROVED: Rebuild of home for the second time after major blaze
The Orton property was ravaged by a blaze that tore through the roof and ran out of control through the house.
In May 2023, this took place only two years after Mr MacLeod was forced from his home between Rothes and Fochabers after his pipes burst in temperatures as low as -17C.
After years of painstaking repairs, he had finally been ready to move back into the property, which is the former station house, at the time of the fire.
Drawings showed the floor plan of the building will be kept the same inside the building, which was built in the 19th Century.
Fixtures including windows, gutters and doors will be replaced with similar features.
Now a building warrant has been approved which means the rebuild can begin.
Latest: New life for closed Burghead church
Last Sunday, we exclusively revealed Scotmid wanted to transform the Burghead Parish Church into a new store.
In December, Burghead Parish Church closed down.
It comes as a nationwide drive to cut costs by selling buildings as congregations dwindle and fewer ministers are being trained.
The chain currently has a shop in Burghead at 9-11 Brander Street.
Now new details have been revealed about the proposed transformation.
This includes that the ground floor pews and raised pulpit area will be removed to make way for a new floor finish.
Retail shelving, refrigeration units and service points will be installed.
Meanwhile staff numbers will increase from 15 to around 21.
There will be new air conditioning for heating and cooling and lighting for the new sales area.
Meanwhile, external condenser units for the refrigeration and air conditioning will be located in the small enclosed rear garden area.
SUBMITTED: Church’s work on unused office above Costa shop
Last year, Moray Coastal Baptist Church moved into premises above coffee giants Costa.
The entrance for the space at 1 Commerce Street is at the side of Costa.
This church is described as a ‘Bible-preaching Baptist Church’.
They hold Sunday services at 10am, 11am and 6pm in the premises.
Meanwhile, there is a Wednesday night prayer service every week at 7pm.
Now the church has applied for planning permission and listed building consent to transform a unused office into a church and use for associated social activities too.
Building papers reveal the work including internal alterations could cost around £7,500.
Wittets Architects is representing the church in the process.
It is understood that work had already started.
Are you going to be submitting interesting plans? Get in touch at sean.mcangus@ajl.co.uk
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