COUNCIL officials have approved a proposal for alterations to the front and rear façade of the former Bank of Scotland building in Helensburgh.
The premises at 26 Colquhoun Square have been vacant since Tuesday, March 24, when Bank of Scotland closed its doors for the final time.
The bid for planning permission for alterations was lodged by Cash Access UK, operators of the town’s banking hub which is currently open in Helensburgh and Lomond Civic Centre.
Drawings with the application also show signage for a banking hub. An application for advertising consent, from the same applicants, was approved by Argyll and Bute Council last month.
The premises was recently published for rent on the website of commercial real estate company CBRE, and remains there as of Friday, April 10.
No representations from the public, expressing objection or support, were received by the council during the planning process.
A council officer said in a handling report: “26 Colquhoun Square, Helensburgh, is a vacant property formerly occupied by the Bank of Scotland. The building is located within Helensburgh Town Centre but lies outwith the Helensburgh Town Centre Conservation Area.
“The Bank of Scotland was the last remaining high-street banking branch in the town. The current proposal seeks to establish a new banking hub within the building, incorporating a shared banking facility, a Post Office counter, and an externally accessible ATM.
“A site visit was previously undertaken during the assessment of the related advertisement consent application. The proposed signage and associated works were supported and approved on March 17.
“The proposal includes both external and internal alterations. Having assessed the submission, I consider that the works either constitute permitted development having regard to Class 9A of the GPDO (General Permitted Development Order), do not amount to development, or are de minimis in nature. As such, planning permission is not required for the majority of the proposed works.”
A Cash Access UK spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service after the approval of the advertising consent application that nothing could yet be confirmed about a permanent location for the banking hub.
The hub opened at its temporary location at the Civic Centre in March.
