Sisters make wedding plans after cafe closes
A village cafe is aiming to turn to wedding catering.
Three Sisters Bake ran a cafe at Killearn Village Hall but in June they announced they would not be reopening following lockdown.
Killearn Community Futures Company (KCFC), which owns Killearn Village Hall, has now asked to continue using part of the premises as a cafe/ coffee lounge.
In a letter to Stirling Council agents Jigsaw Planning said: “Three Sisters Bake are now looking to focus their efforts on providing the catering for weddings held in the Killearn Village Hall and as such KCFC are looking to appoint a new company to run the cafe/coffee lounge.
“On wedding days Three Sisters Bake will have shared use with the cafe operator of the kitchen and also in the evening use of the cafe area for serving drinks.
“There are also a number of events throughout the year (charities, anniversaries, parties, etc) when the kitchen and cafe may be required for limited use by the hirer.”
The letter explained the proposed new operators of the cafe want confirmation that planning permission is in place.
It added: “It is our position that, given the integrated nature of the cafe/coffee lounge area, the retained ownership by KCFC, the shared facilities and the nature of the physical environment, that it is not a standalone class 3 which would require its own planning permission and that the cafe area is operating lawfully under the 2010 permission.
“Accordingly it is our position that the proposed continued use of part of the building as coffee shop/cafe would represent a lawful use which does not require planning permission.”
Three Sisters Bake had been run by sisters Nichola, Gillian and Linsey Reith.
Their Killearn cafe, and another in Quarriers Village in Renfrewshire, did not reopen after lockdown.
The sisters decided to concentrate on their takeaway shop in the west end of Glasgow and their online business.
In a message posted on social media they said: “Unfortunately as we refocus on these parts of our business (takeaway shop and online) we’ve taken the difficult decision not to reopen our cafes at Quarriers Village and Killearn Village Hall.
“This has been a horribly hard decision but it is the best option available to us at this time as we pivot the business in the aftermath of the pandemic.
“We would like to thank all our loyal customers over the years at both cafes along with our amazing teams who have worked with us along the way, helping to shape our business.
“It means more than you could possibly know.”