A PLANNING appeal hearing for the former Fairway Furniture building in Tavistock will take place next week, due to a new planning inspector taking over the case.

The appeal is against the refusal of planning permission for change of use of the former Fairway Furniture warehouse in Plymouth Road Industrial Estate from Class B8 (storage and distribution) to Class A1 (retail) with ancillary pet grooming and vet services.

Planning permission was refused in October 2016 and an appeal was held but wasn’t completed due to unforeseen circumstances.

Now, with a new planning inspector, the appeal will be held again next week in the council chamber of West Devon Borough Council, Kilworthy Park, on Tuesday, June 12 at 10am.

• THE chair of Tavistock and District Chamber of Commerce is looking for opinions on the application to change the former Fairway Furniture warehouse in Plymouth Road from a storage unit to a retail unit.

The original application included retail with ancillary pet grooming and pet services, external alterations to building and site layout including car parking amendments, the creation of two customer entrances and associated works. The intention has been to turn the warehouse into a Pets at Homes store.

Chamber chairman Tim Randell has said he is keen to gauge the opinions of chamber members so that the organisation can share the opinions of the business community with the planning inspector.

He said: ‘I am sure there are multiple different views on a national company moving into this property. As the chair I need to know the view of the chamber so these can be shared.’

Chamber members are being asked to keep an eye on their email inbox but if you would like to respond now, you can send your thoughts via email to [email protected]ness