Former city centre salon approved for conversion to flat

Planning permission has been granted to convert the upper floor of 73 Castle Street in Inverness into a two-bedroom flat, while the ground floor will be remodelled for retail use; a community council request to restrict future short-term lets was not included in the approval.

A leading Inverness businesswoman has received planning permission to turn the upper floor of a city-centre property at 73 Castle Street into a new flat. Alison McRitchie, owner of The Head Gardener salon, applied to convert the former Bodycare Hairworks premises. The proposed flat will have two bedrooms, one en suite, a second bathroom, and an open-plan living/dining/kitchen area. The ground floor will be remodelled to include a new door and an internal stairwell, and is expected to remain retail, though no tenant has been chosen. Key points: - Planning permission was granted to convert the upper floor of 73 Castle Street into a two-bedroom residential flat with an en suite, a second bathroom, and an open-plan living/dining/kitchen area. - The ground floor will be remodelled to provide separate access to the flat via an internal stairwell and a new door, and is intended to remain a retail unit pending a tenant decision. - The premises previously operated as Bodycare Hairworks and closed in August. - Crown and City Centre Community Council supported the conversion but asked for a condition restricting future short-term lets and commercial holiday use; planners did not add such a condition. - Planners reported that a condition restricting short-term lets was "not considered necessary" and stated existing legislation and case-by-case assessment provide control over future changes of use. Summary: The approval allows the upper floor to be converted to a standard residential flat while the ground floor will retain a retail function. The community council's request to place a specific restriction on future short-term lets was not imposed. Undetermined at this time.