Crieff cinema development given the go-ahead

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Councillors have unanimously granted an appeal for a cinema, community radio hub and bistro in Crieff. Local charity Creative Crieff appealed the decision after Perth and Kinross Council's planning department refused its Leadenflower Cinema and Community Radio Hub development in December 2022.

The refusal came only a year after PKC committed £200,000 towards the project. On Monday, March 13 councillors on the Local Review Body unanimously overturned the decision and gave their approval to the proposal.The development would involve demolishing the former Crieff Hotel and replacing it with a purpose-built two-screen cinema complex on the East High Street site.As well as a cinema, the design includes a state-of-art community radio hub for Radio Earn, a courtyard, bookshop and bistro.In December 2022 the application was refused by council officers due to it being deemed the modern design "would have an adverse impact on the character and visual amenity of the site".The site is within Crieff Conservation Area but councillors observed how the buildings opposite are of a modern design.Crieff Hotel was built in 1901 with a more recent flat-roofed extension to the rear and has lain vacant for the past six years.Councillors were told conservation area consent for the demolition of the hotel building currently on the site was refused at the same time as the previous separate application for planning permission.

Conservation consent for the demolition cannot be granted until an approved scheme is in place. Creative Crieff will now have to apply again for permission to demolish Crieff Hotel.Convener Bob Brawn described the appeal as "an unusual one" for the Local Review Body.He said: "It's in a conservation area and I feel in