The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Art club frustrated as historic cottage remains unsold
A Glenrothes charity says it is experiencing growing pains as it struggles to sell its premises.
Glenrothes Art Club put its Cottar House studio on the market 12 months ago after stating its ambition to move to more modern premises.
However, the club says it has been unable to sell what is one of the town’s oldest buildings, despite having been granted planning permission in principle to build homes on the site.
It means a proposed move to the Saltire Centre is in limbo, with Ian Sloan from the group saying plans to engage more people, particularly youngsters, with the club remained on hold.
“We were hoping for a quick sale so the art club could move on,” he said.
“That can’t happen without the sale of Cottar House, but we have heard that the commercial property sector is not doing particularly well.
“The club did what we had to do to market it by getting planning permission in principle for the building of houses, but until we sell Cottar House we are getting held back.”
Permission to redevelop the club’s Alburne Park home was granted last January, despite concern from some councillors a part of the area’s pre-Glenrothes history would be lost.
However, the club said it could not afford to relocate to new premises without the sale of the site being completed.
Once part of Woodmill Farm, Cottar House was preserved for Glenrothes Art Club by the Glenrothes Development Corporation in 1956.