Hawick restaurant off menu as flats plan gets thumbs-up

Scottish Borders Council received an application for the conversion of the New Delhi Restaurant, in Melgund Place, into two, three and five-bedroom flats earlier this year.

Now, that bid has been agreed by the council’s lead planning officer, Julie Hayward, under delegated powers.

Dating from the 1840s, the building appears to have originally been built for residential use.

In her report, Ms Hayward says the application represents a “significant change” to the building but concluded it was in keeping with the residential nature of the area.

She said: “This is a significant change to the building itself but such impact on the overall conservation area would be very limited given the location of the building.

“I have taken into account that this property is on the very edge of the conservation area and is tucked away from long-distance views and have tried to be pragmatic about what is proposed and take account of the potential impact of the works on the overall character and appearance of the area.

“The building was last used as the New Delhi Bar and Restaurant, with a function room on the first floor and storage at second-floor level but is now vacant.

“One criterion is that the proposal should not conflict with the established land use of the area.

“This area is predominantly residential in character. The proposal would be in keeping with the character of the area.

“The building has an appearance that suggests it may have originally been in residential use, though it has previously been a public house and then a restaurant.

“The proposal would bring a vacant building that is in need of repair and maintenance back into use, which would be beneficial to the state of the building and the appearance of the conservation area.”