Distillery and yoga plans for Rutherglen's Mount Carmel Convent site scrapped

A planning application submitted to the council back in February put forward new ideas for the Mount Carmel Convent building in Rutherglen, which included a restaurant, function centre, art and craft centre, distillery and yoga studio.

There were two objections to the plans after it was placed on public display, but then the applicant did not respond to the council's request for more information.

The person's agent also could not get a response.

Indigo Council's planning and statutory services manager Ian Scholes said the application had to be refused because it was effectively abandoned.

"While some aspects of the application may have merit, there are a number of unanswered questions preventing a proper consideration of the proposal," he said in a report to councillors this week.

"It would appear that the retail premises, beauty salon and distillery are prohibited uses under the zone and officers are concerned that the application has not adequately addressed this issue."

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Objectors also raised issues with noise at the building, the restaurant's hours of operation, patron numbers, the consumption of alcohol and antisocial behaviour, traffic, and car parking.

Heritage issues would also have to be looked at for the convent, which first opened in 1928 and provided education until 1989.

Legal representatives for the applicant told the council in September that the person was no longer interested in the convent.

The 11-bedroom convent was then listed for sale for $1.5 million in October.

The application went back before Indigo Council this week.

"This is something that's been on our planning application list for some time without any action and now unfortunately it needs to be refused," deputy mayor Sophie Price said. "There's obviously other things going on in the background with this premises as well."