Sir Brian Souter and sister Ann Gloag are looking into alternative uses for a former Perth hotel.
The pair, who co-founded the Stagecoach transport group, own the Waverley Hotel in York Place, which has now closed its doors after latterly being run as homeless accommodation.
The hotel, which was once renowned for its high teas, had been run by the McKever Group, who ran 20 Scottish hotels and which was carrying overall debts of around £70 million. This led to it being sold to Mr Souter and Ms Gloag last October.
Mr Souter had initially indicated that the building would continue to run as a homeless centre and he would be ”improving and enhancing it”. However, the operation ceased at the end of August, with five full-time and four part-time staff made redundant.
It is not clear what plans Mr Souter and Ms Gloag have for the building, which was one of the oldest hotels in Perth. There have been suggestions it may be linked to adjoining Trinity Church of the Nazarene, of which Mr Souter is a member. However, this has not been substantiated.
In December 2009 senior Pastor Darnell Starks of the church said an idea to take over an ex-servicemen’s club located behind the church and converting it into a church hall had been mooted.
The Waverley Hotel had 40 bedrooms and took in vulnerable people on social service referral. Perth and Kinross Council used it to house people who presented themselves as homeless.
However its run-down image has been criticised by some Perth residents and its whole ground floor section is now completely boarded up.
The closure was understood to be due to the reduction in the number of homeless people being sent to the hotel.GoalsDuncan Graham, the former manager of the Waverley, said: ”The council advised us that one of their corporate goals is to reduce substantially the number of clients requiring bed and breakfast accommodation in Perth.”
A spokesman for Ann Gloag told The Courier: ”The owners of the Waverley Hotel are currently exploring alternative uses for the building. A number of options are being looked at.”
Peter Barrett, Perth and Kinross Council’s housing and health convener, said the loss of the accommodation was ”unfortunate” but stressed that the council is working towards lessening levels of homelessness in Perth.
”The council works hard to identify and provide suitable temporary accommodation for people who are homeless and this can take on a range of forms from hostels, dispersed furnished tenancies to private sector properties,” he said.
”We do use B&B accommodation but only in emergency situations when absolutely necessary. Over the last year the council has implemented a B&B reduction plan and has been very successful in incrementally reducing the level of placements into B&B month on month.
”For example, there are eight households in B&B this month compared to 51 in August 2010. At present we have the lowest level to date of homeless households in B&Bs.”
Photo Phil Hannah.