Irvine betting shop plans recommended for approval

BoyleSport brought forward an application to change the use of the property at 124 High Street at the beginning of June.

The company wants to transform the premises - which previously hosted Happit and, more recently, The Hanger Preloved Superstore - with investment of £380,000 in the fit-out.

The shop, which would operate from 8am-10pm, would create three full-time jobs and an additional three part-time positions.

The application states that a further 26 employment opportunities will be created, on a temporary basis, during the construction period, which is anticipated to last six to eight weeks.

The unit has been vacant since the beginning of 2024, and had been empty for around a decade prior to The Hanger's brief stint in operation.

Proposals are set to go before North Ayrshire Council's planning committee on Wednesday, August 26, where a final decision will be made.

Documents published ahead of this show that officers will recommend that approval is granted with no attached conditions.

This comes despite concerns raised in public consultation that granting permission would cause "unjustified loss" of retail space and result in "an overconcentration of betting shops".

There are currently four betting offices within close proximity to the application site.

Locals argue that another would be "harmful to the character, appearance and amenity of the town centre" and negatively impact mental health and wellbeing.

Explaining his recommendation, chief planning officer Allan Finlayson addressed the concerns raised.

He said: "It is not considered that the proposed change of use would harm Irvine town centre. There are other betting offices nearby. It is considered that all contribute to the vitality, viability and street frontages of the town centre.

"It is not considered that betting offices dominate the streets they are located in, nor harm the character or amenity of the area. At the application site, the absence of any use is harmful to the High Street, largely resulting from the run-down appearance of the building and lack of activity.

"The building has been marketed over a long period of time. A previous attempt to attract a restaurant and a gym to the building has failed. A second-hand clothing retailer has also failed to attract sufficient custom to survive.

"A relatively large High Street building that was developed for Woolworths in the 1960s, when the shopping environment was fundamentally different, evidently no longer meets the demands of modern retailers.

"Notwithstanding the concerns expressed by the objectors to the application, the proposal is therefore considered acceptable."