Pressure is mounting for a solution to be found to an eyesore which has blighted the picturesque village of Glenfarg for years.
At a meeting of Glenfarg Community Council, the ongoing problem of the derelict Lomond Hotel was raised and it was decided to press the authorities to see what can be done.
“It is in a dreadful state and looks as if it could collapse at any minute,” said Councillor Willie Robertson.
“The owners of the building are very difficult to trace and no one is sure where or who they are.
“It was agreed that I should write to the council, seeking urgent action on the building, and that the community council would write as well.
“Local residents are also going to be encouraged to write to try and build up a head of steam to get something done.
“There is a very active bloom committee in the village and it is very disheartening for everyone to have this eyesore on the village’s main street.”
The hotel has turned into a long-running saga stretching back a number of years. In 2011 the path was cleared for the hotel to be demolished and turned into flats and parking.
Plans for a development of 14 flats over four floors and a parking area for 16 cars below ground level had been refused by the council but the Scottish Government’s Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals overturned that decision.
However, since then, concrete plans have failed to materialise and the building continues to deteriorate.
A spokesperson for the council explained the situation, saying: “The council had a discussion with the owners of the Lomond Hotel a few years ago about their intentions for the future of the building.Proposed plans for the site did not come to fruition at that time and, since then, we have made several unsuccessful attempts to contact the owners. We will continue to do so.
“The council would fully support the reuse of the building, or the development of the site, and would assist the owners in any we can towards that aim.
“The council requested that the owner fence off the area surrounding the building to ensure the safety of the public,” added the spokesperson.