New life for former vinyl records and retro games shop, army surplus store, and newsagents in Inverness?
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THE former site of a vinyl record store, army surplus shop, and community newsagents could be turned into a house under plans before Highland Council.
The vacant shop at 75 Lochalsh Road, Inverness, which sits on the corner of that road and Telford Street, is subject to a new change-of-use planning application which may see the property become a one-bedroom ground-floor flat.
The store has sat empty for a number of years, having previously been home to a Vinyl Records and Retro Games shop. Before that it was the base for the Inverness Army & Navy Store, and even earlier was the former site of Mooney's Newsagents.
The applicant, Inverness Property Co Ltd, is seeking a change of use order from class 1 (retail) to class 9 (house) as well as "associated works".
Under the proposals the existing corner entrance to the property would be turned into a window with gravel border, and the window area on the Lochalsh Road side of the building would be converted into a new entrance doorway.
The interior would see the existing shop floor area converted into a 15.8 sq m lounge, am 8.6 sq m bedroom and 8.5 sq m kitchen, with the current utility room converted into an accessible shower and toilet room.
A new boundary wall would also be erected outside to create a garden and patio area. This would reduce the area of public pavement outside, with the new boundary wall running from the end of the utility room extension in Lochalsh Road and curving round up to the neighbouring property's wall in Telford Road.
Highland Council's transport planning team has objected to the development "pending issues being explained/resolved to our satisfaction".
They said: "The reduction in width of the footpath is not acceptable in its current state [and] as no parking has been proposed, details of mitigation should be provided".
