Letham Grange residents are pinning their hopes on the sale of the dilapidated resort to secure the turnaround in fortune they say it deserves.
The hotel and estate, near Arbroath, continues to deteriorate after plans for a new ‘village’ collapsed last year.
Its Taiwanese owners said they were not prepared to take the “unsustainable risk” of progressing plans for hundreds of new homes.
There was a huge community backlash when the proposals were revealed.
Those were put forward by a company owned by the Liu family, which regained control of Letham Grange following one of Scotland’s longest-running legal battles.
It is now approaching fifteen years since the one-time ‘Augusta of Scotland’ closed its doors.
But there are more than 150 homes on the estate.
Storm damage to Letham Grange woodlands
The Friends of Letham Grange claim the owner has “completely walked away” from his responsibilities in Angus.
And they say the legacy of major storms in recent years is putting properties at risk.
Fallen trees litter the former fairways of two overgrown golf courses, which once drew players from around the globe.
Some residents have taken their own action to chop down large trees posing a danger to their properties.
The Friends group said: “The hotel and estate continues to deteriorate.
“The B-listed hotel hasn’t been kept watertight and has become a magnet for urban explorers and children.
“The owner appears to have completely walked away from the estate and is failing to carry out basic maintenance that falls within his responsibilities.
“The burn which runs through the estate has been allowed to silt up, meaning it overflows, generating a risk of flooding to low lying houses.
“The biggest concern, however, is that the many hundreds of trees that are owned by the estate are not being managed.
“A number of householders now have large old trees near their homes which are at risk of falling, but which they are legally not allowed to touch.
“A significant number of trees fell during the last storm.”
Property hit by falling trees
One landed on the roof of a garage, breaking the tiles. Another smashed the adjacent garden fence.
On the main drive there are more than a dozen trees threatening nearby properties or overhanging the main access road.
“There are further trees down past the hotel that are in a similar state,” add the residents.
The Liu family could not be reached for comment.
Letham Grange residents seek council support
Meanwhile, the group has written to Angus Council hoping it will apply pressure on the owners.
“In particular, to establish whether the owner would be willing to now sell the hotel and grounds,” they said.
“It is believed that there are interested parties who would be willing to invest in restoring the resort to its former glory.”
A council spokesperson said: “Following reports of potential dangers at Letham Grange, our building standards team have liaised with the relevant persons to secure the danger from members of the public.
“Formal enforcement has previously taken place where necessary.”
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