Objection raised to hospital proposal

A £100 MILLION plan to transform Angus’s former asylum into housing has hit an early stumbling block following a government agency’s objection to the plans.

Sunnyside Royal Hospital at Hillside closed in 2011 after serving as a mental health centre in rural Angus for 153 years.

New owners FM Group and Pert Bruce Construction Ltd, under the banner of Sunnyside Estates, have applied for planning permission to build 265 homes in and around the B-listed main buildings.

They had already obtained Angus Council permission to demolish eight listed buildings to make way for retirement, supported and affordable housing.

But Historic Environment Scotland has objected to its proposals to level six listed buildings, in addition to the former admin block and chapel.

The government agency responsible for protecting Scotland’s built environment said blanket moves to demolish the B-listed nursing accommodation Booth House, fire station, water tank and workshops is “of much more concern”.

“This is the focus of our objection,” said case manager Ian Thomson.

“We welcome the stated commitment to retaining and re-using the main building, hospital building and Carnegie House, together with their ancillary cricket pavilions and summerhouse.

“However, it would have been helpful if more detailed discussion on the handling of the conversion (even as potential indicative schemes) could have taken place in parallel with these demolition proposals.

“This would have given us more confidence that the loss of certain buildings would allow and enable the retention of others. However, this is a discussion which can hopefully take place now.”

Edinburgh-based FM Group along with Montrose-based Pert Bruce Construction Ltd jointly purchased the site from NHS Tayside last year in a seven-figure deal.