The quest to find a use for an Angus homeless unit empty for 15 years will continue into 2023.
Angus Council has admitted it is looking at “alternative uses” for the 11-bed Queen’s Close hostel in Montrose.
It has spent more than £350,000 refurbishing the facility after a fatal fire tragedy there in late 2007.
But since then the B-listed building hasn’t been occupied for a single night.
And repeated efforts by the authority to offload the building have failed.
Those included a deal to sell it at a knockdown price of just £110k in 2017.
The council was also unsuccessful in getting a housing association to take it on.
Hillcrest was twice offered the building but said it wasn’t suitable for their needs.
And in 2015 councillors eventually agreed to offer it for sale on the open market.
It has now emerged that it failed to find a new buyer after selling agents put a closing date on the property in July this year.
So the 5,186 sq. ft. building off the town High Street remains available on the website of Shepherd Commercial.
Six-figure overspend
The complex covers three floors and includes an attic flat.
It was fitted with a sprinkler system, door entry system and four communal kitchens for the 11 individual bedsits in the major refurbishment.
But the project bill went £100,000 over budget.
And changes to Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) legislation meant the authority couldn’t get a licence for that use.
The closing date in July raised hopes there might be fresh interest in the building.
But a council spokesperson confirmed there has been no definite movement.
“Queen’s Close is still on the market whilst we consider alternative uses,” they said.
“Shameful” saga
The situation was previously branded a “bloody waste” by a former staff member there.
Jill Scott was a housing support planner at the time of the fire.
She is now an Angus councillor, representing Brechin and Edzell.
And she said it was “shameful” the hostel had never been used since the refurbishment.
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