Showbiz
Penelope Keith loses Highland café bid
Published Friday, Jan 25 2008, 08:00 GMT | By Beth Hilton
Penelope Keith has been refused planning permission to build a café in a Highland village.
The Good Life actress had asked local authorities to allow her to convert a former petrol station in Avoch, Ross-shire, into a two-storey eatery.
However, residents signed a petition claiming that the building could cause traffic congestion and prove an eyesore.
A police investigation was later launched when some locals said that their names appeared on the document when they had refused to sign it.
Keith and husband Rodney Timson appealed to the Scottish Government over the application, claiming that Highland Council had failed to inform them of a decision within the allotted time.
But following a site visit, it was ruled that the appearance of the proposed café was not appropriate to the area.
The couple, who spent £79,000 on the land in 2005, have six weeks to appeal the decision.
The Good Life actress had asked local authorities to allow her to convert a former petrol station in Avoch, Ross-shire, into a two-storey eatery.
However, residents signed a petition claiming that the building could cause traffic congestion and prove an eyesore.
A police investigation was later launched when some locals said that their names appeared on the document when they had refused to sign it.
Keith and husband Rodney Timson appealed to the Scottish Government over the application, claiming that Highland Council had failed to inform them of a decision within the allotted time.
But following a site visit, it was ruled that the appearance of the proposed café was not appropriate to the area.
The couple, who spent £79,000 on the land in 2005, have six weeks to appeal the decision.
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