The former Ellon Bank will become takeaway as plans have been approved by the council

Plans to turn the former Ellon TSB bank branch into a new hot takeaway have been given the go-ahead. Ahmet Dogan submitted the conversion proposal to Aberdeenshire Council in December.

The vacant Bridge Street bank will soon have a kitchen with separate serving and waiting areas for customers. Floor plans show the restaurant will have a pizza oven and fryers, meaning diners will be able to indulge in freshly prepared fast food.

No changes will be made to the exterior of the building, except for the addition of an extraction system. This will ensure that there will be no noise or odor impact on nearby residential properties.

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However, takeaway customers will not be allowed to use the private car park behind the former bank. They will have to use public parking areas in the city center instead, along with on-street parking.

Plans to operate a laundromat in the former bank’s parking lot received approval back in February. The application recently went before Formartine Area Committee.

Councilor Gillian Owen welcomed the plan but raised some concerns about potential parking issues. She explained: “They say there is no parking in the area and I think people will abandon their cars, come in and collect their takeaways.

“There’s going to be a problem, just like there is on Station Road in the west, outside the takeaway towns, every night. That’s not to say it’s the fault of those who have the package, just that the general public has a right to feel that they can abandon their cars.”

Meanwhile, councilor Isobel Davidson would have preferred to see the site used in another way as she believes Ellon is “pretty good” for takeaways. But Councilor Derek Ritchie said it was good to see the building being re-used.

“It’s windowlene in the window, it looks awful when you go into Ellon. Anything that will light up the city must be a wonderful thing.”

The Commission accepted the request unanimously. This latest application comes as plans for a restaurant in the building were withdrawn last summer.

Sava Estates wanted to open up the customer and cashier area to make the most of the space. The recommendations also come as global fast food giant McDonald’s has received approval for a new restaurant in the city.

Meanwhile, Ellon will lose its last physical bank branch later this year. The city’s Bank of Scotland, in The Square, will close its doors for the last time in September.