The former Lundin Links Hotel site is still a “hazardous eyesore” a year on from a catastrophic fire.
The once prominent building burned to the ground on August 18 2022 following repeated warnings from worried neighbours.
Former Runrig drummer Iain Bayne, who lives next door to the site, was one of those who feared a disaster following a series of break-ins and deliberate fires.
He demanded action in the days before last summer’s blaze.
And now, on the anniversary of the fire, he is calling on the owners to remove all remaining debris from the site.
He said: “It’s a relief there’s nobody trying to burn the building down because it’s already happened.
“But I’m angry I’m still living next to an eyesore.”
A 16-year-old boy has admitted setting the fire and has been referred to a children’s hearing,
‘Lundin Links deserves better’
The C-listed Lundin Links Hotel with its mock Tudor façade was a village landmark.
However, it had been empty for eight years before the fire and was a magnet for anti-social behaviour.
Owners Kapital Residential had planning permission to turn it into 35 flats but the work never started.
The company eventually went into liquidation in June 2022.
And, three weeks before the final blaze, the fire service warned the building was full of flammable material that needed to be removed as soon as possible.
Iain, 63, was one of several people evacuated from their homes the night of the inferno.
Yesterday, he said: “It’s been a year since it burned down but all the cuttings from the trees that were there for seven years beforehand are still lying there.
“They’re still presenting a fire hazard because they’re tinder.
“The fencing has undergrowth growing through it and parts of the inside of the hotel are still lying there.
“It’s a derelict site that still presents a hazard. It’s disgraceful.
“Everyone in the village deserves better.”
Call for consultation with locals over Lundin Links Hotel site
August 18 is a poignant date for Iain for more than one reason.
On that that day in 2018 he was playing drums at Runrig’s final concert at Stirling Castle.
“We had a massive firework display that night”, he recalled.
“Then on the same date four years later there was this massive fire. It’s a strange co-incidence.
“Nobody knows what’s going to happen with the site now.
“Lots of people have ideas but the liquidators aren’t communicating.
“Whatever happens, there needs to be some sort of consultation with Lundin Links people.
“They need to stop the nonsense, get round the table and get it sorted.”
Frustration at lack of information
It’s a view backed by Peter Aitken, chairman of Largo and District Community Council.
He says many people in Lundin Links want the site transformed for community use.
A lawn with public seating is one idea that’s been mooted.
Peter added, however: “As we all know sadly, there’s a loan on that building which has to be repaid to the Scottish Government.
“The liquidator will presumably have to sell to the highest bidder to repay that and to recoup the cost of the demolition.
“The fact it’s taken a year, I’m assuming nobody has offered enough.
“We’re really frustrated because they don’t tell anybody anything.
“The community is disappointed and I’ve written to them to say that.”
Cost to the taxpayer
The loan referred to was secured by Kapital Residential in 2020.
The Scottish Government granted £850,000 under its Emergency Covid Liquidity Fund, set up to protect jobs and suppliers in the housebuilding industry during lockdown.
Kapital Residential had until July 22 last year to repay any outstanding amount on the loan.
But it paid just £150,000 before going into liquidation.
North East Fife MP Wendy Chamberlain says it still hasn’t been made clear why such a large loan was provided in the first place.
She said: “The cost to the tax payer is likely to be in excess of half-a-million pounds.
“They should clarify as a matter of urgency whether they expect to recover any of this outstanding loan.”
Scottish Government still pursuing loan repayment
The Scottish Government confirmed it is still pursuing the balance.
A spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government is registered as a secured creditor with the liquidator of Kapital and will receive funds from the liquidation of the company in accordance with the laws governing company dissolution.”
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for liquidators Middlebrooks said: “At the moment we have reached a sensitive juncture with the property and for now we can’t update for commercial reasons.”
Conversation