ANGUS LOCAL PLAN REVIEW FINALISED PLAN - Angus Council

A17 : West Port Shopping FrontageProposals involving the change of use of existing ground floorretail premises (Class 1*) shops will only be acceptable where:-• it can be demonstrated that the property has been vacant forat least 12 months and actively marketed for retail use in thattime; or• at least 5% of retail units within the West Port are vacant.Where development proposals satisfy the above criteria thefollowing will also apply:-• ground floor frontage development should include a shopwindow frontage and maintain an appropriate windowdisplay; and• a condition will be applied (in accordance with Circular4/1998) to restrict the permission to the use specified.Proposals for the establishment of hot food takeaways will beconsidered in the context of Policy SC25: Public Houses and HotFood Takeaways, Restaurants and Cafes.Circular 4/1998 – The use ofconditions in PlanningPermissions*As defined in the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Scotland) Order 1997.TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION26. The implementation of projects to improve transport links isimportant to maintaining and improving accessibility within and aroundArbroath. The former goods yard at Helen Street has been identifiedby Network Rail as a strategic site, which will be safeguarded forfuture use as a potential rail freight facility.A18 : Helen Street - Goods YardThe site of the former railway goods yard at Helen Street issafeguarded as a potential site for a rail freight facility.ENVIRONMENTTOWNSCAPE HERITAGE INITIATIVE27. The approval of the application for Townscape Heritage Initiative(THI) recognises the quality of Arbroath’s historic town centre. The THIis a partnership of the Heritage Lottery Fund, the European RegionalDevelopment Fund, Scottish Enterprise Tayside, Historic Scotland andAngus Council. The THI has funds to support projects, which furthersocial, economic and heritage regeneration within the Arbroath No1Conservation Area.Townscape Heritage Initiative(THI)A five-year programme of grantassistance for the social,economic and heritageregeneration of historic towncentres.HOSPITALFIELD28. Hospitalfield House (a Category A listed building and ScheduledAncient Monument), set in around 22 ha of managed woodland andopen agricultural land, is a prominent feature in the local landscapeand a unique private open space within Arbroath. The Local Planpolicy seeks to maintain this unique character and all developmentproposals will require to be accompanied by a conservation and/ordesign statement demonstrating how they contribute to the characterAngus Local Plan Review109Finalised Plan