Plans for Garden House redevelopment approved

A controversial plan to redevelop Garden House and its surroundings has been approved today, Wednesday, by Orkney Islands Council’s planning committee.

A total of 23 letters of objection were submitted in response to the application, which proposes that the former NHS Orkney administration building be repurposed as premises housing Voluntary Action Orkney, the Orkney Food Bank and the Citizens Advice Bureau.

The proposal, which falls under a “change of use” application, was put forward by OIC projects manager Ian Rushbrook, on behalf of the council. It includes the extension of the building and, in order to provide additional car parking, the stopping up of an adjacent section of public road.

Just some of the concerns raised by objectors were:

• The closure of the section of road affecting ease of access for visitors and
deliveries of materials to the Orkney Hand Crafted Furniture workshop.
• The scale of the proposed extension.
• Impact of additional traffic on the adjacent road.
• Impact on access to neighbouring properties.

A motion to approve the application was put forward by OIC planning committee chairman, Councillor Rob Crichton, and seconded by Kirkwall West councillor, Barbara Foulkes.