New lease of life for former Aberdeenshire TSB bank

Plans to convert the former Ellon TSB bank branch into a new hot food takeaway have been given the go-ahead, the second hot food outlet to be approved this week after McDonald’s plan to premises at Balmacassie were also granted.

Ahmet Dogan lodged the transformational proposal with Aberdeenshire Council in December. The vacant Bridge Street bank will soon feature a kitchen with separate serving and waiting areas for customers. Floor plans show the eatery will have a pizza oven and fryers, meaning visitors will be able to treat themselves to freshly made fast food. No changes will be made to the building externally, except the addition of an extraction system. This will ensure there will be no noise or smell impact on nearby residential properties. However, takeaway customers will not be allowed to use the private car park behind the former bank. They will have to use public parking areas in the town centre along with on-street parking instead.

Plans to operate a carwash in the former bank’s car park were given the go-ahead back in February. The application recently went before the Formartine area committee.

Councillor Gillian Owen welcomed the plan but raised some worries over potential parking problems. She explained: “In the lay-by it does say no parking, and I think people are going to just abandon their cars, run in and collect their takeaways. There will be an issue, just like there is on Station Road west outside the takeaways there on a nightly basis. That’s not to say that’s the takeaways’ fault, that’s just the general public being entitled that they feel they can just abandon their cars.”

Meanwhile councillor Isobel Davidson would have preferred to see the site used in another way as she believes Ellon is “quite well off” for takeaways.

But councillor Derek Ritchie said it was good to see the building being repurposed. There’s windowlene in the window, it looks awful as you come into Ellon. Anything that will brighten up the town has to be a wonderful thing.”

The committee went on to unanimously grant the application.

This latest application comes as plans for a restaurant in the building were withdrawn last summer. Sava Estates wanted to open up the customer and cashier area to make the most of the floor space. The takeaway also comes as global fast food giant McDonald’s received the go-ahead for a new restaurant in the town. Meanwhile, Ellon will lose its last physical bank branch later this year. The town’s Bank of Scotland, found in The Square, will shut its doors for the final time in September.

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