PLANS for short-term let artist accommodation in Helensburgh town centre have been approved by council officials.
Nicola Jamieson’s proposal for the first and second floor premises at 40 Sinclair Street was awarded planning permission by Argyll and Bute Council after no representations from the public.
The plans also include flexible studio space for work and not-for-profit community engagement events, as well as internal alterations.
A separate application, for listed building consent at the same site, remains awaiting approval by the council.
A council officer said in a handling report: “The front room of the first-floor flat is an open-plan living/kitchen space that extends across the full width of the building.
“It is proposed to use this room as an artist’s studio space, including the installation of a flexible partition to allow the studio space to be converted into two spaces as required.
“The utility area and bathroom (associated with the first floor residential flat) located at the rear of the plan form, are to be altered to form a small kitchen area and shower room, which, in conjunction with the adjacent bedroom, will provide short-term, ancillary accommodation for an artist’s residency.
“The existing hall on the second floor also extends across the full width of the building and has a particularly architectural quality deriving to a large extent from its open, trussed rafter construction and glazed roof lantern/rooflights. It is proposed to use this upper hall as studio space.
“The two spaces at the rear of the second-floor plan are presently used as an office space and an ancillary kitchen with a small WC between the kitchen area and the front studio/hall accessed from the end of the hallway that runs across the width of the plan at the rear of the front hall.
“The plan layout is proposed to be altered in effect to reduce the size of the existing second floor kitchen and to enlarge the WC to form a shower room.
“In conjunction with the use of the existing office space as a bedroom, these spaces will form a second unit of short-term artist’s accommodation ancillary to the studio/events space use of the application premises.
“Access to the upper two floors of the building is via an entrance directly off of Sinclair Street, located at the left-hand end of the façade adjacent to the ground floor shop.”a
