Carnoustie’s former Coastguard station is set for conversion into a seafront family home.
It comes after Angus councillors upheld an appeal over the plan for a two-bedroom house on the Admiral Street site.
Applicant Susan Alexander challenged the authority over the non-determination of her proposal which was first submitted in July 2021.
A council determination deadline passed in October last year.
The plan drew a host of local objections but never came before planning councillors.
So now the authority’s five-man development review committee has looked at the plan and given it the go-ahead.
The proposal
There has been a Coastguard station on the site since at least 1900.
But the original building was demolished and replaced around 1999.
It shut down several years ago and the area is served by stations in Arbroath, Montrose and Dundee.
The new plan will extend the empty building to create a two-bed home.
On the ground floor there will be a kitchen/dining space, master bedroom suite and garage.
The first floor will have a second bedroom and living space.
Access will be taken from the unadopted road leading off Admiral Street.
The old station also has a seafront entrance from the national cycle path which runs directly in front of the site.
But it’s not planned to use that as a vehicle acccess.
Architect Gary Adam said the aim is to create a “sensitive and modest” family home on the empty site.
Local opposition
But the plan generated a number of neighbouring objections.
Those included concerns over the scale of the house and possible overshadowing.
And there were also objections over access and parking arrangements.
Opponents also fear the property could become an Airbnb-type holiday home.
The committee’s view
Councillors carried out a site visit before making a decision on the application.
Montrose SNP councillor Bill Duff said: “Having looked at some of the buildings in the locale, what’s proposed doesn’t seem to be exceptional.”
He branded the car parking objections “spurious”.
“I don’t see any strong reason for rejecting this,” he said.
Arbroath West and Letham councillor Alex King said: “I’m in two minds.
“It is a brownfield site, however the building is quite large and takes up a lot more room than the previous building.
“On balance I’m inclined to allow the appeal and approve the building.”
But Arbroath West and Letham Independent Richard Moore said: “I’m going to be the lone voice here.
“It’s a very compact site.
“It is an interesting design but I think it’s inconsistent with the surroundings.
“Policy requires developments to be of an appropriate scale and nature and I don’t find this to be the case.
“The property is going to be directly beside the cycle path so it’s going to stand out even more.”
The review committee approved the house and planning conditions for the development will be brought forward in a few weeks.
