Agenda item

There had been circulated copies of the request from Mr Craig Oliver, 27 Marigold Drive, Galashiels, for review of refusal of the planning application in respect of change of use from retail to tattoo studio (retrospective) at 52 Bank Street, Galashiels.  Included in the supporting papers were the Notice of Review; Decision Notice; officer’s report; papers referred to in the officer’s report; consultations; and a list of relevant policies.  Members noted that the application was for a Class 2 use and that the site, formerly a retail unit and now vacant, was within the Core Activity Area in Galashiels where policy normally opposed any uses other than Classes 1 and 3. They also noted that the recently approved Town Centre Core Activity Area Pilot Study 2018 applied to Galashiels town centre and was material to their deliberations. Although the tattoo studio did not fall within the range of uses identified in the Pilot Study beyond the approved classes, Members

discussed whether the applicant had demonstrated the potential contribution of the proposed use to the retail function of the town and whether approval could therefore be justified on those grounds. 

DECISION

AGREED that:-

(a)        the request for a review had been competently made in terms of Section 43A of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997;

(b)       the review could be considered without the need for any further procedure on the basis of the papers submitted;

(c)        the proposal would be in keeping with the Development Plan; and

(d)       the officer’s decision to refuse the application be reversed and planning permission be granted subject to a condition and informative, for the reasons detailed in Appendix II to this Minute.