Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Plan to turn garage premises into Nisa food store
A GARAGE in Dundee’s West End could shut down and become a convenience store if new proposals are approved by the city council.
Businessman Zehn Rashid wants to change the Autohouse garage i n Walton Street, within the Blackness trading precinct, into a Nisa outlet and has applied to the planning department for a change of use on the premises.
In a supporting statement provided with the planning application on his behalf, architect Graeme McNab said the area was “over-populated” with car garages, but was lacking in food stores.
He said the Blackness area has 30 garages within a half-mile radius. The statement said: “The proposed change of use application is to form a Nisa Local Food Convenience Store in the existing premises.
“There is in fact a total of 30 garage businesses locally offering similar services, but there is no provision in this immediate area for a modest food retail outlet of the type proposed for the surrounding residents, students and businesses, which would be well served by a development of this type.
“The proposed change of use plans will make the best use of the existing site, providing a recognised and sustainable food outlet serving both the l ocal community and l ocal businesses.”
If approved, the franchise store would open from 6am-10pm during the week, and 7am-10pm at weekends, with deliveries being made to the store early in the morning to minimise traffic disruption.
Planners say the store would be well served by the 51 and 22 bus services, but a provision would also be made for a limited amount of customer parking on the site of the store.
Mr Rashid could not be reached for comment before the Tele went to press.