Investigation into work at former hotel

The owner of a prominent former Fife hotel has maintained works at the premises during lockdown have not breached any regulations.

Fife Council is investigating activity at the boarded-up C-listed Albert Hotel building in North Queensferry and the Health and Safety Executive has also been alerted.

Councillor David Barratt said it was “not clear if the works being carried out would require a building warrant or planning permission” and has discussed the matter with the council and Police Scotland.

Kenny Waugh, who has owned the building which overlooks the Forth Bridge for about 14 years, said he was willing to meet council officials and had spoken to police officers who had visited the premises.

“We’re emptying all the rubbish out of the building so we can get insurance for the building,” he said.

Rumours have been circulating locally that the interior of the building is being converted into flats.

Mr Waugh said this was not the case, adding: “We’ve not got planning for that.”

However, he said he was exploring alternative uses for the building, including residential use.

“It might well be flats at the end of the day but that would have to be subject to planning.

“The building needs a lot of money to be opened up as a pub again, and I don’t think there’s the finance for pubs.

“Financially, it was always going to be difficult but now, with Covid-19, who knows what’s going to happen to pubs in the coming years?”

He said contractors were repairing a retaining wall to the rear of the hotel and there was also work to expose dry rot in the cellar, adding just he and his son were in the building.

Fife Council’s head of planning, Pam Ewen, confirmed activity at the Albert Hotel had been reported to the council.

Mr Barratt said: “If the destruction of the internal fabric of the building is used down the line to justify a change of use into flats, as I suspect may be the case, this should also be strongly opposed.

“The Albert has every capacity to be run as a successful pub and hotel.”

Fife Council is investigating works at the former Albert Hotel in North Queensferry.