Property firm defends Glencoe hotel plans amid objections
A PROPERTY firm has defended plans to extend an historic Glencoe hotel after an ‘incredibly disappointing response’ to the proposals.
Bidwells, managing agents for the development, claims the £10million project to expand the Kings House Hotel is ‘forward thinking’ and ‘well-conceived’, despite outstanding objections to the plans.
A spokesperson for the property firm said: ‘We have looked at many options for the redevelopment of the Kings House Hotel. Following a financial review of the previous planning application, the original design was found to be inefficient, insufficient and uneconomically viable.
‘For the development to proceed it must meet the minimum requirements of 60 bedrooms under one roof. The current plans are best suited to deliver a financially viable proposition to our client who, in a philanthropic manner, is investing more than £10m in this development.’
The original 17th-century droving inn, owned by Black Corries Estate, has been closed since November ahead of the proposed refurbishment to build a three-storey, 60-bedroom hotel on the landmark site in Glencoe.
Four formal objections have been lodged against the planning application, which was submitted to the Highland Council in August. These include objections from leading conservation organisations, The John Muir Trust and the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), on the grounds the designs are not in-keeping with the surrounding area.
Mountaineering Scotland is the latest national body to condemn the plans, saying the ‘industrial-style building’ will be ‘completely out of character both with the original building and the surrounding landscape which is part of a much-loved National Scenic Area’.
David Gibson, chief executive officer for Mountaineering Scotland, said: ‘Mountaineering Scotland is not against the appropriate development of the Kings House and would support a well-designed extension as proposed in the 2016 application, but the new proposal is not well-designed or in keeping with its surroundings and we object to it.’
Bidwells say the original 17thcentury Kings House building is to be retained and designed in to reduce the visual impact on the landscape.
The new building will be no higher than the trees that surround it and will ‘incorporate sympathetic use of natural materials’ such as slate, larch cladding and local drystone granite.
The Bidwells spokesperson continued: ‘The objections to the plans are an incredibly disappointing response to what is a forward-thinking, well-conceived, economically supportive project in the West Highlands. The enhancement of the Kings House Hotel will ensure the building’s longevity and be a source of employment for more than 40 people.
‘We know how special the Kings House Hotel is to many people and we are focused on delivering the best possible business structure to the benefit of the area.’
Glencoe and Glen Etive Community Council voiced its support for the project last week, stating the resultant boost to employment in the area presents a ‘golden opportunity for the community’.
The planning application is currently awaiting a decision by the Highland Council.