Plans for nine commercial units on Kirk Vennel are approved
NORTH Ayrshire Council has approved plans to build nine commercial units in Irvine.
It comes despite an objection to the Kirk Vennel Barrens proposal – and with a number of conditions attached.
The site had previously been the subject of a proposal to build three houses on the land, although proposer Stephen McQuiston (on behalf of Kerr Duff) decided to take a different route.
Their application states: “My client didn’t know if houses were the way to go here and opted for commercial units.
“We had discussed this back and forth with NAC and were told that if we could propose a satisfactory type of commercial property here, the council would support it.”
The units would be made available for use by companies, but limited to pure storage and distribution companies and “light industrial” companies.
Each unit will be just over 5m wide and 11m long and just over 3m high.
Documents supporting the proposal state: “The units will not be used by companies that generate noise in their processes.
“Businesses such as barbers, barbers and beauty salons are not being considered for these new entities.”
They added that retail stores such as curtain/blind shops and carpet shops would be considered.
The accompanying document continued: “There is a possibility that the units are a mix of the above and storage use.
“Storage would be something like storing materials for builders or any product that a retail unit would need to store.
“It would be made very clear that if the unit were to be used as a storage unit for materials that a contractor would use, they would not be able to work from this unit.”
Units would also be limited to operating between 9am and 5pm.
In addition to nine units on the main lot at Kirk Vennel, the development also includes the provision of 12 parking spaces in the portion of the lot that extends behind existing lots on the street.
Proximity to some of these existing properties led to an objection to the proposal – but this did not affect its approval.
The objection read: “This development will reduce the privacy of my home and increase noise levels and traffic in an already congested area.
“The area is quiet and with the local primary school, it gets very busy in the mornings.
“These commercial units will cause further disruption and traffic restrictions in Kirk Vennel.”
To allay some of the concerns surrounding the plans, North Ayrshire Council has placed a number of conditions on its approval.
These include ecological and archaeological concerns that are addressed.
They also add that a lowered curb walkway must be added for “at least the first 10 meters of access.”
