Plans for Fife’s first ever shisha lounge in Kirkcaldy restaurant are put on hold

Local man Sohaib Mujeeb submitted proposals last year which would have seen the former Happy Days Chinese takeaway in Kirkcaldy brought back into use as a restaurant, although an external courtyard would have been created to be used exclusively for shisha smoking.

Shisha bars or dens, also known as hookah lounges, are largely confined to cities in the UK and typically sees patrons share flavoured tobacco from a communal hookah pipe or from one placed at each table or a bar.

However, Fife Council’s planning department have confirmed that the plans in their current form have been pulled by the applicant, and a new application would have to be submitted in due course.

Supporting documents as part of the initial application claimed there was a demand for such a shisha lounge in the Kirkcaldy area that could bring visitors into the town.

Michael Roy, from Roy Surveyors, said the plan would bring the ground floor unit of a prominent 19th Century C-listed building back into use - and would no doubt attract people from across Fife and beyond.

“The proposals have been carefully designed to protect the character and interest of the listed building, create a new vibrant business and preserve residential amenity in the surrounding area,” he added.

“The formation of the shisha courtyard is a key feature of the proposal which would attract visitors and customers from throughout Fife and is therefore essential for the proposed use.”

Shisha usually contains tobacco which is sometimes mixed with fruit or molasses sugar, with popular flavours including apple, strawberry, mint and cola.

Wood, coal or charcoal is burned in the shisha pipe to heat the tobacco and create the smoke, and flexible tubes are hooked up to the pipe.

Shisha smoking produces second-hand smoke so is covered by Scotland’s smoke-free law which doesn’t allow smoking in enclosed public spaces.

It is permitted in courtyard areas.

No reason for Mr Mujeeb withdrawing the application for the St Clair Street property has been given.

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