Councillors have refused plans to turn a historic North Queensferry hotel into luxury flats, even though it has been closed for four years.
The owners of the Albert Hotel, which sits in the shadow of the Forth Bridge, wanted to create four new homes, saying the boarded-up premises was unviable.
However, planners are not satisfied that’s the case and said the loss of a tourism and community asset could not be justified.
A previous planning application attracted more than 100 objections and was eventually withdrawn.
And the latest proposal was also opposed by locals who, along with a group of investors, wanted to reopen the hotel.
Owners Festival Inns said the community plan was more of an aspiration rather than something that was achievable.
And they said the loss of the pub would have no significant impact on the village given the other facilities nearby.
No evidence North Queensferry hotel is not viable
Fife Council planning officer Mary Stewart said the Albert Hotel was a listed building.
And she added: “The determining factor in this case is centred on the principle of a loss of a valuable tourism and community facility and whether this loss has been adequately justified.
“The applicant has also proposed internal alterations which would have a detrimental impact on the building.”
How long do we let this continue?”
Councillor David Alexander
Ms Stewart said there was no evidence the North Queensferry hotel was not viable.
“There are questions around the valuation in that there has been a deterioration in the condition of the building,” she added.
SNP councillor David Alexander questioned the refusal recommendation, asking: “How long do we let this continue?
“If nobody is going to buy this, are we eventually just creating ourselves a ruin?”
Tourism benefits for hotel ‘limited’
Ms Stewart said it was a difficult balance.
“We obviously want to secure the future of a listed building and the best way to secure its future is to ensure it’s in productive use of some sort.
“There’s a valuable community asset here so it comes back to whether we’ve satisfied the tests set out in the development plan.”
Festival Inns acknowledged North Queensferry was a tourist destination due to its views of the Forth Bridge.
But it said the spin-off benefits for the hotel were limited.
“The focus for sightseeing the bridges is in South Queensferry and a change of use of the hotel is considered to have minimal impact on visitor numbers or expenditure in the village,” they said.
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