A property firm is seeking to transform the former County Hotel in Forfar’s town centre into six quality two and three-bedroom flats.
Developers Caledonia Properties Co Ltd have applied to Angus Council for consent to redevelop the Grade B-listed building in Castle Street, which is currently used as offices.
Their plans are to provide six flats over three floors, with the retention of an office to the rear of the first floor.
Architect for the redevelopment project is Paul Wilson of Forfar.
It has been many years since people were welcomed as guests of a hotel although, until more recently, patrons frequented the ground floor, where they were welcomed to the County as a hostelry.
This application is not the first bid to transform one of the town’s longstanding and prominent buildings council offices at the Cross were the subject of a controversial bid by pub giant JD Wetherspoon in the summer.
It seemed that a rumoured offer of around £400,000 would secure the 150-year-old listed building. However, the council is now inviting bids on the open market for the property, which covers almost 9,500 square feet over three floors and includes the office of the Angus provost as well as members’ accommodation.
No closing date has yet been set for the disposal.
Nearby, the former David Irons & Sons Ltd hardware store has lain vacant since closing earlier this year.
The building has attracted interest and hopes are high that a new occupant will be in place soon.
A short distance from the former County Hotel, in Castle Street, is the Royal Hotel, which failed to sell at auction earlier this month, with no one willing to meet its reserve price of £200,000 plus VAT.
The former coaching inn, which closed its doors four years ago, has been a fixture of the town since the 1700s but has become something of an eyesore recently.
Local officials remain hopeful that a buyer can be found to instill new life into the building, possibly even bringing a hotel and much-needed tourist accommodation back into the town.