AN EYESORE former pub and restaurant is set to be demolished to make way for a new retail development.
Work to pull down the old Wemyss Bay Hotel site to make way for a Co-op convenience store is due to start imminently.
Planning permission for the project was granted in December and residents have been eager to see the back of the dilapidated building ever since.
The demolition work is still subject to final checks and approval from building control officials but if all goes well the Greenock Road site could be cleared by Easter.
A source close to the development told the Tele: “Progress has been made.
“An agreement has been signed with the Co-op now that planning permission has come through.
“Demolition work is due to start imminently and should be completed before Easter.”
Councillors gave the development the green light despite some objections from members of the public.
Concerns had been raised about road safety, particularly when deliveries are being made, and the impact a Co-op would have on existing, nearby retailers in Wemyss Bay and Inverkip.
But planning officers said they did not believe the development would have a significant impact on trade elsewhere and ruled that the application met road safety criteria.
As well as a Co-op store, there will be a car park with 20 spaces, including two disabled bays, and a new pedestrian crossing.
The original application included proposals for a second, smaller retail unit on site to house a cafe, restaurant, takeaway or another retail business but that was dropped by developers.
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