PLANS for a new cafe and retail unit in Prestwick has been given the green light. 

The applicant, Antique Antics at The Smithy, is changing an existing workshop to form café, retail sales area and formation of car parking. 

There is also set to be a conservatory extension to the front.

The application site is the former Sandyford Smithy, which is located to the north of Sandyford roundabout on the A77 trunk road.  

The site is roughly triangular shaped and is bound by the A77 trunk road to the west and a lay-by off the A713 to the east.

The site is currently occupied by two buildings positioned side by side in the middle portion of the site and one of the buildings is utilised as a part workshop, and part Class 3 food and drink establishment. 

The second building is currently utilised as ancillary accommodation for the adjacent commercial operations.

The approved development is for the part change of use of the workshop to the western boundary of the site, and associated alterations and extension to form a café, and the formation of car parking. 

The proposal is partly retrospective in that the workshop building towards the western boundary of the site is, in part, currently utilised as a café. 

The submitted plan shows the formation of 22 parking bays located within the forecourt area of the site, and three staff parking bays to the rear of the site. 

Consultations were carried out with Transport Scotland, Ayrshire Roads Alliance, Environmental Health and Prestwick Airport, all of which had no objections to the planning application.

The reason for the approval of the development states: “The siting and design of the development hereby approved is considered to accord with the provisions of the development plan and there is no significant adverse impact on the amenity.”