The future of a village hotel has been thrown into doubt after its owners’ latest failure to clear a planning hurdle.
In a decision widely supported in the community of Hillside, Angus development standards councillors this week unanimously blocked a scheme to extend the local hotel to create five self-catering units in a two-storey extension.
The six-figure scheme would have also seen the internal renovation of the hotel building to form five en-suite bedrooms, but it was the scale of the planned extension which signalled the death knell for the plan.
However, the refusal may have sent the hotel spiralling closer to liquidation after the applicants said they could no longer sustain losses of the past five years which have forced the business to the brink.
Previous extension proposals one withdrawn and one refused by councillors drew significant local representation and the latest bid attracted more than 80 objections.
They centred on issues including the size and scale of the proposed extension, loss of amenity including the hotel restaurant, traffic impact and localised drainage problems.
Local councilor David May led a clutch of local representation urging the committee to reject the scheme.
He said: ”I have attended all the meetings in the village hall about the plans to change the hotel and have spoken to many residents about this application, as well as hearing from the owner.
”What has been designed is excellent and there are many aspects of it that I back. However, I do believe that what has been proposed in size, form and height would dwarf the surrounding buildings.
”I agree that the hotel would benefit from investment and refurbishment, especially given the shortage of hotel accommodation in Angus.”
Hillside community council chairman Kitty Ritchie added: ”The community, through two public meetings, has expressed its concern that we have lost a perfectly good hotel in the village and this would be an over-intensification.
”We want our old Hillside Hotel back and we want it to be a thriving business.”
The committee unanimously agreed to back an official refusal recommendation for the plan.