PLANS for an aircraft hangar in Machrihanish to become a bonded warehouse have received approval.
Sam Brooks made the proposal for the facility at 292 MACC (Machrihanish Airbase Community Company) Business Park, within the Campbeltown Airport and Machrihanish Airbase complex.
Argyll and Bute Council officers have now awarded planning permission after no objections or expressions of support were received from the public.
A council official said: “The site forms part of the wider MACC Business Park which constitutes one of the principal employment locations in Kintyre and accommodates a range of aviation, industrial, storage, logistics and business-related activities.
“The building is a substantial former aircraft hangar of modern industrial appearance and large floorplate construction.
“The building has partly been converted and changed to a bonded warehouse under a previous planning permission and benefits from a hazardous substance consent for the storage of alcohol within the entire building.
“Planning permission is sought for the partial change of use of the existing aircraft hangar to facilitate the continued development of a bonded whisky warehouse operation.
“The submitted plans indicate that the bonded storage and warehouse activities remain the dominant function of the building with ancillary visitor-related facilities occupying a relatively small proportion of the overall floorspace.
“No significant external alterations are proposed other than minor glazing and door modifications appropriate to the operational requirements of the development.
“It is noted that the application has been amended since it was first submitted to remove the staff accommodation bedrooms, in response to consultation requests.”
The report added: “The proposal includes a whisky tasting facility, display area and small-scale retail sales area. The application states that the retail area would primarily facilitate sales of products stored, matured or bottled on site together with associated whisky-related merchandise.
“The tasting facilities would operate on a predominantly pre-booked basis with relatively small visitor groups. Visitor numbers are anticipated to remain modest and proportionate to the scale of the operation.
“The proposal represents an appropriate form of economic development within an established employment location.
“The principal use remains a bonded whisky warehouse and associated industrial operation consistent with the role and function of the MACC Business Park.
“The ancillary tasting, display and retail components are subordinate in scale, directly related to the primary warehouse use and do not constitute a standalone retail destination.
“The proposal will support economic growth, employment creation, tourism diversification and productive re-use of an existing building whilst giving rise to no unacceptable impacts in terms of transport, amenity, design or flood risk.”
