Carriage eatery is not derailed
Railway restaurant to arrive in Pitlochry
Plans for a train carriage restaurant in Pitlochry are back on track after councillors granted planning approval.
It is hoped the “innovative” Thaithemed restaurant and takeaway will help the Highland Perthshire tourist town in its recovery from the pandemic.
But plans almost hit the buffers when Perth and Kinross Council officers recommended councillors refuse the application.
Councillors on PKC’s planning and development management committee met to consider the plan on Wednesday, April 7.
The two Great Western Railway carriages - which are over 40 years old - will be situated on 11 existing parking bays adjacent to the Highland Main Line.
The first class carriage and first class dining car will be restored to their 1980s vintage and sit on a specially laid section of track.
The unique restaurant will overlook the railway line at the bottom of the council-owned Rie-Achan Road car park near Pitlochry train station.
Applicant Fergus McCallum told the PA the car park site came about after plans for a site closer to the train station with a different landowner fell through.
Mr McCallum said he had a cooperative conversation with the council, although admitted initial hesitancy from them over using the car park.
He said the authority had been as “constructive and open as possible to finding solutions for businesses”.
But on February 16, PKC wrote to Mr McCallum saying he should withdraw his application.
He proceeded and the council’s planning team recommended the planning committee knock back the application on the grounds of road safety and loss of parking spaces.
Highland Perthshire councillors Xander McDade (Independent) and John Duff (Conservative) gave a deputation to the committee in support of the application.
In response to a question from Cllr Wilson about road safety, Cllr Duff said up to 60 pedestrians walking across the car park to the restaurant was no different to up to 60 walking across it to access their cars.
The former police superintendent said: “Pedestrians in a car park is a risk we currently accept in car parks.”
Earlier in his deputation he told the committee it was not only a restaurant but “a visitor attraction”.
He said: “This is not just an application for a restaurant - this is an application for a new and innovative culinary experience.”
Cllr McDade said the business would help the Highland Perthshire tourist town in its recovery from the pandemic and suggested parking bays should not be prioritised over the creation of jobs.
The restaurant will create four jobs but could have a positive knock-on effect to local employment through suppliers and visitor numbers.
Councillors were told it could attract 30,000 visitors to the Highland Perthshire town - boosting tourism and the local economy.
While Lib Dem councillor Willie Wilson thought the restaurant proposal was “innovative and deserves merit” he did not think this was the right location for it. He moved the application for refusal, citing concerns regarding road safety.
SNP councillor Tom Gray seconded the motion for refusal.
Conservative councillor Callum Purves put forward an amendment to approve the application saying it was an “example of destination tourism”.
Conservative councillor Michael Barnacle seconded.
Councillors went against council officers’ recommendations and voted by seven votes to five for approval, subject to the McCallums entering into an agreement to secure appropriate offsite contributions to address the loss of the parking bays.
After the meeting, Mr McCallum, who is a pharmaceuticals marketing executive, told the PA: “You will have to scrape me off the ceiling. I am really pleased. I love trains. I am a train buff.”
The restaurant will be run by his Thai wife Isara and their 18-year-old daughter Mia.
The McCallums hope to open the restaurant in June after negotiating the terms for leasing the site from Perth and Kinross Council.