Land surrounding Stirling Council’s headquarters will be sold for future housing development, councillors have agreed.
While the local authority will retain Old Viewforth, the demolished New Viewforth site, Langgarth Lodge, the demolished Wellgreen Care Home, Linden Avenue Car Park, Burghmuir Road and land outwith council ownership are to go on the market next month.
The private land is intended to be released by its owners for development.
The plans for the site include 150 to 200 new flats and houses, as well as offices, leisure facilities and a hotel.
A planning brief outlining these proposals was approved by councillors.
In the upper site, between Old Viewforth and Langgarth House, 32 two or three-bedroom flats and 28 four-bedroom townhouses with parking as well as front and back gardens are proposed.
At the lower site, 38 detached houses and 24 townhouses would be built.
These sites will be put up for sale in November 2024.
Bids will be submitted in February 2025, and the preferred bidders will be presented to Stirling Council in June 2025.
The historic Langgarth House, which was damaged by a fire in March, is part of the development plans.
Reinstatement is being looked at, subject to an insurance claim.
Structural surveys have been conducted and further investigation will commence before the scope of the reinstatement is decided.
Councillors were told that the building’s restoration was “important” to the overall development of the site.
£30 million council office refurb shelved
Plans to refurbish Stirling Council’s headquarters at a cost of more than £30 million have been shelved.
The options suggested included the refurbishment of both Old Viewforth and Teith House, or the refurbishment and extension of Old Viewforth, with the closure of Teith House.
As of August 2024, these redevelopments were estimated to total £36.60 million and £31.50 million respectively.
Due to budget issues, neither option has been given the go ahead.
Instead, investment in the building was recommended and given the green light.
This work includes re-roofing at Teith House, electrical rewiring and upgrade works at Old Viewforth, and a window refurbishment programme at Old Viewforth.
£590k spent ‘to evaluate all options’
At a meeting of Stirling Council, Drew Leslie, head of infrastructure, described the works as “substantial costs”.
He estimated that the re-roof could come in at around £600,000, the re-wiring between £350,000 and £500,000. He also said each new window could cost up to £15,000.
Approximately £590,000 was spent to evaluate all options and establish the “potential of the building”.
‘Unaffordable from day one’
Stirling Council leader Margaret Brisley said: “I think it’s unfortunate, shall we say.
“We know what we would like to do and that is have offices that would meet all of the requirements and would be a good working environment for our staff as well.
“But it’s quite simple: we can’t afford to do it now.
“So, I think we’re making the best of improving the accommodation we’ve got.”
In response, Councillor Scott Farmer, leader of the council’s SNP group, said it was “unaffordable from day one”.
He added: “£590,000 later we’re back at stage one.
“I can just say that this highlights the ineptitude of this Labour administration, blindly backed by the Tories, and this inept coalition that has seen a waste of taxpayers’ money that is, quite frankly, an utter disgrace.”
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