Major plans for the redevelopment of the Letham Grange hotel and golf resort in Angus have resurfaced.
Owners of the once prestigious complex a few miles north of Arbroath have confirmed a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) has been lodged with Angus Council.
It is the starting gun on plans which could see the business brought back to its former glory.
And locals will get their first chance to have a say on the project at two public consultation events in the coming months.
The first is scheduled less than five weeks from now.
Initial stage
A PAN is the first step in a major planning application, so at this stage there is little detail around the proposal.
But the application states it is centred around a “hotel and spa, holiday accommodation, reconfiguration of golf course, golf clubhouse, restaurant, leisure uses, residential development, business enterprises, retail and community facilities.”
It comes two years after a blueprint for around 250 new homes on the estate emerged.
That followed a lengthy ownership battle which returned Letham Grange to the hands of the Taiwanese Liu family.
People living there have grown increasingly concerned about the deterioration of the mansion house there.
It was the luxury hotel centrepiece of the resort in a heyday which earned Letham Grange the moniker of ‘Scotland’s Augusta’.
The complex boasted two golf courses, including the highly rated Old, with around 140 homes built around the estate.
Golfers kept them running for eight years after the hotel shut its doors in 2011.
But since then the fairways have become overgrown and the magnificent big house has continued to decay.
The owners say they recognise there is a need for action.
Robin Holder of Edinburgh-based Holder Planning confirmed the PAN is now in the hands of Angus planning officials.
“We are looking forward to beginning a dialogue with the local community and other stakeholders on the way forward for Letham Grange,” he said.
“The best way to do this is through the lodging of a PAN, which identifies the possible land uses we are considering and establishes the dates for two public consultation events.
“It is important to note that at this stage we have no fixed ideas on what the eventual proposals for the area will comprise.
“The land uses described in the PAN are simply a list of options that give a context for discussion and comment, and the preparation of a planning application in due course”.
Consultation events
The first public consultation event will take place on Tuesday October 3 from 2pm to 6pm at Colliston village hall, close to the estate.
A second event will be held in Old and Abbey Church Hall, Arbroath on November 7 from 2pm to 6pm.
The owner’s representatives will be at both so people can drop in and discuss the future of the site.
Mr Holder added: “There will not be any specific proposals tabled at the first event, as it is foremost an information gathering exercise and an opportunity for local people to ask questions of us.
“At the second event we hope to have some specific proposals to present and discuss, and again it will be a drop-in event for the public.
“We have decided to hold this event in Arbroath so that it is accessible to people living close to Letham Grange, but also to the wider Arbroath community who may have comments they would like to make as well”
“We look forward to a constructive dialogue but fully accept that different people will have alternative views on the future of Letham Grange.
“However, it is recognised that the status quo is not an option”.
A planning application cannot be submitted within 3 months of the relevant PAN submission.
The scale of the masterplan brought forward in 2021 generated concerns locally.
One councillor said the idea of hundreds of new homes would create a “new village” in the area.
