Penelope Keith wins fight for food life in Highlands

THE saga has run longer than any of her hit TV shows and there have been a few plot twists on the way, but actress Penelope Keith has finally triumphed over the critics.

After six years of trying, she has been given permission to build a tearoom in a Highland village near to where she has a holiday home.

Ms Keith, who played the formidable Margot Leadbetter in The Good Life and Audrey fforbes-Hamilton in To the Manor Born, acquired the site in 2005, but things did not go according to the script with initial opposition from some villagers, delays and rejection from planners, an appeal to the Scottish Government and even a police investigation holding up the plans.

However, yesterday there seemed general agreement locally that the new business would enhance the area.

The actress and her husband, Rodney Timson, have had a holiday home in Fortrose in the Black Isle for many years. In 2005 they paid about 80,000 for a 220 sq ft site previously used as a filling station in the High Street of the nearby village of Avoch.

Initially praised for tidying up the site, some attitudes changed when they applied, through their Guildford-based company, Pencon Productions, to build a two-storey caf.

An initial planning application in March 2007 was withdrawn following opposition from some villagers who felt there would be traffic and parking problems.

Highland Council's Ross, Skye and Lochaber planning applications and review committee discussed the issue again later, but deferred a decision.

An appeal was made to the Scottish Government over a failure to determine the plan, but it was rejected by a reporter with the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals who said the determining issue was the effect of the proposal on the character of the conservation village.

At the time the issue divided the locals. One angry resident threatened to rename her house "To the Manor Blighted".

Northern Constabulary was called into the dispute after a petition with the names of 241 people said to be against the plan was sent to Highland Council.

However, it was claimed the names included people who supported the tearoom or had not expressed a view. It was also claimed that many of the names were taken from another petition fighting rural post office closures and that some signatures were of people who had died.But after changing architect and submitting a revised design last summer the tearoom has at last been given the go-ahead with officials from Highland Council's planning department in Dingwall giving approval under delegated powers.

Ms Keith declined to comment on the approval yesterday, but it seems the local dispute has died down.

Retired social worker Garth Pattison previously said the scheme was totally inappropriate for the area.

But yesterday he said: "The plans were heavily amended. It's a non story now."

Mike Noble, who edits the village newsletter, said: "There is now a general will for it to go ahead. Everyone is hoping that it will proceed without further problems. I don't think there is any opposition now.

"Undoubtedly it will be an asset for the area. Its what everyone thinks we need here and it's been going on far too long."

Local councillor Billy Barclay was delighted the protracted planning wrangle had ended, although did not think the actress would be appearing front of house.

He said: "I'm quite impressed by what is going to be there, but I don't think we are going to see her walking about with an apron serving tea.

"It has all come to a conclusion and will definitely improve that area. The couple are quite keen on the caf and the Black Isle and have a lot of good things to say about here and are up regularly. They are really nice folk."

Caroline Eccles, chairwoman of the Avoch and Killen Community Council, also welcomed the news: "We feel that it will be a real asset to the community."