The controversial tycoons behind the Taymouth Castle development have applied to build a new staff village almost two miles away.
Discovery Land Company has unveiled a proposal for a ‘back-of-house operations village’ to service its luxury scheme.
The US-based landowner has been accused of planning “a private resort for the mega-rich” on the Taymouth estate and nearby Glen Lyon.
The firm has given the 19th-century Taymouth Castle, near Kenmore, a £100 million facelift.
It is currently restoring the estate’s golf course and planning to build 140 luxury homes.
Now it has submitted the first of a series of planning applications for permanent estate management accommodation buildings to service the estate.
The proposed operations village would be on the east corner of Newhall Woods – more than 1.5 miles north-east of the castle, north of the A827.
New village would service Taymouth Castle
The operational “hub” would include:
- Commissary building (1,162 sqm gross floor area)
- Estate administration offices (1,230 sqm)
- Laundry and laundry plant (276 sqm)
- Gym and staff lounge (193 sqm)
- Workshop (301 sqm)
- Access management kiosk
- Washbay
- Covered refuse area
- Staff parking
- Other on-site infrastructure and utilities
Separate planning applications are being prepared for an additional car park and proposed greenhouse (400 sqm).
The new village was revealed in an application for an upgraded link road.
If allowed, this would connect East Lodge to the Taymouth Castle development.
A supporting statement said: “The operations village will provide employment space for operations staff for the castle, development team, HR, finance and facilities Management staff.
“The commissary building will be used for food storage, food preparation and
equipment storage purposes.
“The estate administration offices will provide employment space for the operations, development, management support and facilities management staff.
“Provision will also be made for a staff lounge and gym.
“A new workshop will be constructed for repairs and maintenance purposes and will
be managed by the facilities management team.
“The site layout provides for car parking, cycle storage, EV charging points, refuse area, wash bay, laundry services and associated infrastructure.”
There would be around 100 workers across the site every day, with operational hours spanning from 5am to midnight.
Up to 10 large-goods vehicles would make deliveries to the site each day.
Idea comes as Protect Loch Tay ends campaign to stop development
The supporting statement continued: “Approximately 35 construction development, HR, Finance, IT and consultant staff members are already employed onsite and currently access the estate through the new West Gate access.
“The intention is to re-locate those teams to the operations village at Newhall.”
The latest proposal comes as the protest group set up to oppose the Taymouth Castle scheme says it is ending its campaign.
Protect Loch Tay announced it was calling a halt to its work in a post to its 4,200 Facebook followers.
The group’s online petition has amassed more than 160,000 signatures since its launch last July.
Perth and Kinross Council will determine the link road planning application as further proposals are awaited.
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