Plans for Pollokshields dessert bar knocked back by planning board

Efforts to open a dessert bar in a former Pollokshields bank have suffered a blow after an appeal was thrown out.

The developers behind plans to convert the old Bank of Scotland on Albert Drive had urged councillors to overturn planners’ decision to refuse permission.

But Glasgow’s planning review committee upheld the ruling amid concerns the premises could have a detrimental impact on neighbours in the same tenement.

The application had promised to bring some “vitality” to a “rather sad” street — and the appeal claimed the decision by planning officials was “flawed”.

Planners felt the proposed opening hours of 8am to 11pm were “excessive” and had concerns about noise and cooking fumes.

Chillicious Cafe and Desserts would have been a “specialist” dessert bar, the applicants said, with no need for an external flue as there would be no “open cooking equipment”.

Planners said there was no specific use which “defines a dessert café”. They added a flue was needed for the proposed class three (restaurant and cafe) use, but that would cause “significant loss” of amenity to residents.

Officials added it was “imperative” as the change of use could “allow more extensive cooking… in the future”, and no “personal consent” for a dessert café could be given.

A previous application for a dessert and burger bar was withdrawn due to the need for a flue on the rear wall of the building.

The appeal claimed “almost everything can be cooked in an air fryer” and it was “absurd” to say sealed cooking is “unacceptable”.

“This requirement to second guess how some other owner, at some point in the future, may change the use is irrelevant,” it added.

Cllr Paul Leinster, SNP, said the “fundamental point” was approving the plan would mean “there’s not necessarily anything to stop the business then changing into something that’s using deep fat fryers and ovens and all of this equipment that causes smells”.

He added: “Clearly there is no appropriate system for ventilation so, as it stands, I don’t really think that we can approve this.”

Cllr Ken Andrew, SNP, who chaired the committee, said he would like to see the “quite handsome property” in productive use, but he was concerned about seeing a “very different offering” if “the ownership or management regime change”.

No councillors voted in favour of the plan. However, Cllr Imran Alam, Labour, said: “There are quite a few empty units on Albert Drive and it was quite a busy thoroughfare.

“I think if you want to boost the local economy in that part of the city, I think you need to give these businesses a chance to set up and flourish. It’s a different offering, having a dessert place might bring something new to this part of Pollokshields.”

Cllr Jill Pidgeon, Labour, added: “I think we do need to try and make sure there is support for people who are wanting to bring in new businesses.”

But she said the hours of operation and lack of flue were “problematic”.