Inverness charity shop on the move

Shelter Scotland’s charity shop in Inverness city centre is moving to a new home.

The shop at 2 Drummond Street has been busy with a half-price sale in preparation for a flit to an empty shop unit nearby in Union Street.

Shelter’s premises in Drummond Street are set to become a ground floor extension to the existing Oriental Choice restaurant and Lucky Bowl takeaway on the first floor of 25 Union Street round the corner.

G&M Properties per Mohamed Mohamed of Cloverfield Park, Inverness, were recently granted planning permission by Highland Council to change the use of the charity shop to a restaurant.

The plan is to link the existing first floor restaurant at 25 Union Street via an internal stairway and create a reception area, additional seating, and all ability toilet facilities in the Drummond Street premises.

The existing kitchen area upstairs will remain with no cooking equipment installed in the development of 2 Drummond Street.

Environmental health had no objections “given the proposal is for an extension to the existing restaurant” and provided there was a condition confirming no cooking or preparation of food will take place on the expanded premises without appropriate mitigation measures and sufficient off-street refuse storage.

Shelter Scotland director Alison Watson said: “We can’t wait to open the doors to our new shop on Union Street.

“These new larger premises offer a great opportunity to showcase even more of the wonderful items we have to offer.

“There are more than 9,500 children in Scotland with nowhere to call home, more and more people are becoming homeless, while the housing budget has just been slashed – this is a housing emergency.

“I’d like to thank all our customers and donors in Inverness, as well as the shop’s wonderful staff and volunteers, who keep Shelter Scotland in the fight for housing justice.”

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