Plans to convert former Penicuik snooker hall into a Nepalese restaurant

An award-winning Nepalese restaurant owner has applied for planning permission to turn a former snooker hall in Penicuik into a new eaterie.

Navin Kandel.

Navin Kandel, who owns Ghurka Bar & Restaurant in Musselburgh, has applied for permission to convert the two-storey building on Imrie Place.

The building, which has lain empty for a number of years, is described as semi-derelict in the planning application to change its use to a restaurant.

Agents for Mr Kandel said he planned to build on an existing successful restaurant business already in operation.

They added: “The proposed use of the building will make a vibrant contribution to the existing town.

“We also believe it will support he aims of the Penicuik Heritage Regeneration Project to regenerate the town centre.”

The snooker hall was previously used as a masonic hall and has its own car park. Two previous applications to turn the building into 14 student flats were refused by Midlothian Council in 2016 and 2017.

Ghurka Bar & Restaurant opened in Musselburgh in 2014 and was named Best Specialist Restaurant in Scotland at the Scottish Business Awards in 2016 as well as picking up several Good Food awards.

The application to change the snooker hall into a restaurant states that no external alterations are proposed although it said, if given the go ahead permission would be sought to change the signage.

And it added: “An ancillary use of the building would be the holding of private functions (meetings or celebrations), with the upper level being mainly dedicated to this and overflow from the ground floor.”

The application is currently under consideration by planning officers.