Hotel hopes to add 50 rooms and pool
Homes, outdoor pursuits area and spa also in pipeline
The owners of Murrayshall Country House Hotel near Scone have submitted a formal planning application to the local authority seeking permission to add dozens more rooms for future guests.
A design statement sent to planners last week says the proposals include building an extension comprising 50 new rooms plus the creation of a new swimming pool and spa area, a golf academy and a driving range featuring Toptracer technology.
The document says management also want to create a new outdoor pursuits area offering activities such as archery and put 40 self-catering lodges close to the main hotel building and another 25 tree houses or glamping pods in an area to be accessed from Balcraig Road.
The design statement, prepared by Perth-based Fergus Purdie Architects, says the proposals also involve the creation of an “enabling development of new build residential homes”.
The document indicates the hotel’s owners envisage as many as 50 new homes being built on its grounds if the proposals are eventually passed by Perth and Kinross Council.
It says: “The investment in the hotel and estate will have a significant and positive effect on the local economy, including employment and tourism.
“To support this there will be a requirement for enabling residential development ... within the finalised masterplan.
“Residential ‘pockets’ will include other housing options including low-carbon self-build and custom design plots, as well as the development of areas of the estate which have existing building eg. [the] previous staff accommodation building.”
A separate ecological report prepared by Nigel Rudd Ecology says most of the elements of the proposed development will be created on areas of improved and amenity grassland but some of the planned leisure facilities could be built “in plantation woodland in the west”.
The report asserts: “The habitats are of low value and their loss results in no significant impact on biodiversity and represents no constraint to development.
“The habitats lost will be replaced by a new build with public open space and new tree and shrub planting and retention of grassland. There will be retention of woodland habitat that will be brought under management for biodiversity benefit.
“These changes do not present significant impacts of development as proposed.”
Members of the public can view the application and all its associated documents on PKC’s planning portal.
planning applications