Chapelpark changes approved

Tweaks to a conversion plan for Forfar’s former Chapelpark primary school have been approved in the face of an objection from the town’s community council.

The B-listed former school is undergoing conversion to 29 affordable homes in a £5.6 million plan.

Work is well advanced on the Angus Council project, but the authority’s own development standards committee was asked to improve amendments to the original scheme, including the rendering of an area on the largely hidden north elevation and the blocking up of three windows there.

The rendering plan came forward after developers found they did not have enough good quality downtakings to fill an area of external wall and both Historic Environment Scotland and the community council had no objection to the proposal.

However, the community council was less happy with the prospect of the windows being blocked up – a retrospective application since the infilling has already been completed.

The planning report stated: “The alteration is required to facilitate the improved internal layout.

“The windows have been filled with checked-back masonry downtakings.

“The alterations to the building are relatively minor, are appropriately detailed and do not have any significant impact on the overall special interest of the building,” it added.