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A Helensburgh hardware store has been granted planning permission to extend its retail area at its town centre location.
Wright’s Home Hardware moved into the former Arnold Clark showroom at East Clyde Street last year, expanding from its former Sinclair Street premises.
It has now gained planning permission from Argyll and Bute Council to extend the retail use onto an open yard area adjacent to the building.
No objections were received from the public and Helensburgh Community Council expressed support, saying the plans would greatly enhance the store’s range of products and materials.
A planning official said in a handling report: “Service vehicles will access the proposed new open retail area via re-positioned gates, off of the forecourt. Customers’ access to the proposed open retail yard will be through the existing interior retail area.
“It is proposed to site a sample garden building (to be used as a temporary café) against the wall at the western side of the new retail area.
“This will be a modest flat-roofed and timber clad pavilion type structure with a footprint of 4.6 x 7.5 metres. A 40ft storage container is proposed to be sited along the southern edge of the yard, screened from the retail area by a timber fence.
“It is proposed to cover a little more than two-thirds of the yard area with an open sided ‘polytunnel’ comprising polycarbonate roof panels within steel framed, shallow pitched roof structures supported on steel columns.
“The yard area will otherwise be laid out in typical garden centre fashion with shelves of plants, pots, garden ornaments, paving, fencing etc around the perimeters with ‘display gondolas’ set out centrally under the polycarbonate roof structure.
“The proposal will improve the town centre of Helensburgh, and make a positive contribution to the local town centre vitality and economy by providing enhanced facilities, and is compliant with all relevant provisions of the Local Development Plan.”
The official added: “The proposal will result in a combined garden centre retail operation that constitutes ‘large scale’ development…and as such will not benefit from the ‘zero parking’ allowance for small to medium scale town centre retail uses.
“However, the proposal does provide 13 car parking spaces and any remaining parking shortfall can be supported as a minor departure to the provisions of the Local Development Plan on the basis of the wider community benefits to the local environment and the resulting support to the existing town centre vitality and economy.”
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