18-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Step forward for Gordon & MacPhail's transformation work and takeaway plans for former Elgin High Street bakery
Welcome to Planning Ahead – our weekly round-up of the latest proposals across Moray.
Sit back and enjoy all of the most interesting planning news of the week.
In this week's edition, work could take place at a Batchen Street shop.
A new pharmacy could be on the way for Elgin town centre.
We look at the latest on the transformation of a former Elgin bakery into a takeaway.
There is also an update on the major makeover taking place at the Gordon & MacPhail building on Elgin's South Street.
But first, we look at the latest regarding plans to breathe new life into a derelict Elgin pub site.
Last month, we revealed how Springfield Properties wanted to build eight new flats on the site of the former Pinegrove Hotel site in Elgin.
The land in the east of the town has been empty for almost six years.
Each apartment will have an open plan kitchen and living area, two large bedrooms and plenty of storage.
Now a neighbour has described the flats proposals as 'excessive'. However, they neither object or support the plans.
They added: 'Also, I am concerned who these flats are to be allocated to.
'I can only hope, if this planning goes ahead, that families or couples are given the opportunity of housing and not young single people.'
In March, Ramsdens opened a new Elgin store at 12 Batchen Street.
The store was previously home to the LCTG hairdressers.
The pawnbroking and jewellery chain opened up the new shop after being made homeless by the closure of the St Giles Shopping Centre.
The firm has had a presence in the town for 10 years.
Now building papers have revealed proposed £30,000 worth of internal alterations to the layout of the shop.
In 2010, Smillie's bakery closed down at 212 Elgin High Street.
The original shop, which faces Elgin High Street, has already been been converted and presently operates as a nail studio.
Meanwhile, the back premises have been under-utilised for storage.
It was used for deliveries of raw materials and packaging until the bakery shut down.
Three years ago, Jennifer and Neil Taylor of Sanus Moor Limited had their plans to transform the storage section into a takeaway refused.
Planning chiefs argued the proposal failed to comply with the local plan requirements.
The Taylors appealed the decision.
However, councillors voted 4-3 on the Moray Local Body Review to uphold the decision.
Last year, plans for the takeaway were approved after they were resubmitted .
Now a building warrant has been approved for the £30,000 worth of work which will include upgrading floors, walls and ceilings.
It is a shell warrant which focuses on the framework of a building before the interior fit-out.
Architectural And Planning's Martin Archibald represented the pair.
A new pharmacy could open in the Elgin town centre.
NHS Grampian has been consulting with Elgin Pharmacy, which is the proposed name of the business, who have applied to open a new pharmacy on the High Street.
The proposed opening hours are Monday to Friday from 8.45am to 5:45pm.
Meanwhile, on Saturdays from 9am to 5pm.
Elgin Pharmacy has defined the community area they would serve as being within the town of Elgin in its entirety.
If the application is approved, the proposed NHS services include unscheduled care, clinical space rental, Naloxone training and supply and much more.
The local health board will assess if the residents feel a new pharmacy is necessary or desirable.
The consultation is currently being run until Wednesday, September 17.
In December 2022, we exclusively revealed Gordon & MacPhail wanted to carry out a multimillion-pound makeover of their South Street shop.
It will incorporate displays, tasting rooms and a liquid library of some of the world's rarest whiskies.
Around three years on, scaffolding is still up on the iconic building.
Now the whisky giants have been given permission to replace the sash and case timber windows as well as gutters and downpipes.
In the meantime, the firm have a new retail shop and whisky tasting rooms at The Courtyard on Newmill Road at the site of Johnstons of Elgin.
Retail manager Fraser Robson previously revealed to councillors on the licensing board that the firm needs the premises for at least 18 months and maybe up to two years.
