New building to house Royal Mail sorting office planned on site of fire-hit Highland laundry
A new multi-use building incorporating a mail sorting office is being proposed at the site where a Highland village laundry was destroyed by fire.
Beauly Laundrette and Dry Cleaners in Station Road was badly damaged by a blaze in August 2021 and the building was demolished and the site cleared.
The business reopened last year at a new location at the back of the nearby Co-op store.
Plans have now been lodged with Highland Council for a new multi-use building comprising commercial and residential units on the empty site next to Bridgend Filling Station.
- Pictures: Fire causes significant damage to building
- Laundry destroyed in devastating blaze to reopen
- 'I arrived to the sight of four fire engines and smoke pouring out of the roof'
The application has been submitted by KALM Design Chartered Architect on behalf of the filling station.
It proposes two commercial units on the ground floor – one to be occupied by Royal Mail sorting office – and two residential units on the first floor.
The applications states the new building will have an identical footprint and use similar finishing materials which include white painted timber.
The 2021 blaze broke out during the early hours of August 27 and although firefighters brought it under control, they were called back later the same day following reports of smoke coming from the building.
The fire also caused temporary disruption to local postal services, with Beauly's Royal Mail delivery office at the filling station unable to open due to its close proximity to the laundrette.
Within a week of the fire, the site was cleared while laundrette owner, Duncan Fraser, began the task of finding new premises.
The laundrette reopened in February last year at its current base where the business has expanded.
