Office block beside Bonnyrigg High Street parish church could become 10 bedroom hotel as plans lodged

Plans to turn an office block next door to a local church into a hotel have been lodged with Midlothian Council.

The application to change the use for the first floor of the building on Bonnyrigg High Street comes a year after planners gave the go ahead or the ground floor to be turned into a restaurant.

The offices, which applicant Mrs Silva Harris says are currently vacant, would be converted into 10 bedrooms.

Last year Bonnyrigg Parish Church, which is next door to the building, objected to plans to change the use of the ground floor into a restaurant by Mrs Harris.

The church said plans to place ventilation units on an extension at the rear of the building would have a detrimental effect on the conduct of its services.

They said the constant noise would “cause distress during wedding and funeral services as well as impacting on our regular Sunday gatherings.”

Despite their concerns and several objections from local residents, planners gave the restaurant the go ahead. Part of their reason was the that there were no residents living in the immediate surrounding area.

Granting a change of use for the ground floor to a restaurant, planners said: “The creation of a restaurant would be in keeping with the character of the town centre area and would contribute to the vitality and viability of the town centre.

“There are no residential properties in the immediate surrounding area of the site whose amenity would be detrimentally affected by the proposed restaurant use.

“In addition, the use of the ground floor of the building as a restaurant is unlikely to have a detrimental impact on the amenity of the occupants of the offices at first floor level.”

The plans are available to view at Midlothian Council’s planning portal.