Luxury homes bid at former Murray Royal
Developers eyeing-up site for 40 flats and up to 70 houses
The former Murray Royal Hospital in the Kinnoull area A Perth community council has signalled it could oppose plans to convert the old Murray Royal Hospital building into luxury flats and construct dozens of new houses in its grounds.
Bridgend, Gannochy and Kinnoull Community Council (BGKCC) discussed the latest proposals for the A-listed former psychiatric hospital at a meeting on Thursday last week, where it was said NHS Tayside had sold the buildings and its associated land to a London-based developer for £550,000.
NHS Tayside audit committee papers published earlier this month confirm the Muirhall Road site was sold for this sum at some point in 2016/17 to Rivertree Residential Limited.
Rivertree Developments Limited, another company led by Mr Milne, bought the former Dingleton Hospital near Melrose in the Scottish Borders back in 2001 and similarly applied to convert the old buildings as well as create hundreds of new houses within its grounds, according to online reports.
BGKCC chairman Jack Rivett said at last week’s meeting that he had learned the developer intends to convert the former Murray Royal Hospital buildings into 40 luxury flats as well as construct up to 70 houses.
One local in attendance referred back to previous proposals to build up to 250 houses within the same grounds, recalling that at that time the plan was halted amid concerns about the added traffic the extra houses would bring to Bridgend – exacerbating existing problems with congestion and pollution.
Mr Rivett replied that the development’s potential impact on the area’s infrastructure will be the community council’s primary consideration when it scrutinises Rivertree Residential Ltd’s proposals.
He went on to describe the existing infrastructure arrangements in Bridgend as “dire” adding that in his opinion the district hadn’t seen any improvements of note since the construction of the Friarton Bridge.
“The traffic just increases and increases all the time,” he said.
Earlier in the meeting Mr Rivett had stated the community council will continue to object to any new major developments that are likely to lead to increased congestion and pollution in the area.
In a letter to PKC planners the new owner’s agents, Montagu Evans, said of its Proposal of Application (PAN) notice: “The proposal relates to residential development at the site.
“Planning permission in principle will be sought to develop up to 70 residential dwelling houses Vandalism to the former hospital sensitively sited in the grounds of the former Murray Royal Hospital, respecting both the listed building and landscape setting.
“Separately proposals for detailed planning permission will be sought in respect of the change of use, alteration and refurbishment of the former Murray Royal Hospital building and former Elcho and Birnam wards, to form a residential development (class nine and ‘sui generis’ flats), alterations to chapel, selective demolition of buildings, open space, landscaping and infrastructure and associated works at the site.”
It is understood a formal public consultation event is to be held at the old hospital’s former chapel on Thursday, June 22, between 12pm and 7pm where members of the project team will be available to answer questions about the proposed redevelopment.
Final arrangements for the consultation event will be confirmed later.
Planning permission will be sought in principle to develop at least 70 houses sensitively sited in the grounds . . .