The future of former hotel is all carved out

Joiner Stephen Cranston submitted an application for the change the use of an annex to the old Buccleuch Hotel in Trinity Street to accommodate his business, currently based in the town’s Wilton Hill.

The section of the former hotel he wants to convert is the extension to its east, once home to its public bar, guest bedrooms and a garage, as well as its rear car park.

The main hotel building – run separately from the application site until its closure in 2015 and in separate ownership – is currently vacant, though approval to convert it into a family home was granted in March last year.

The council’s planning and building standards committee rejected Mr Cranston’s plans in February, insisting the building was not suitable for industrial use and also demanding that a bat survey be carried out.

However, considering an appeal against that thumbs-down in May, the authority’s local review body agreed to review his plans further once the results of the bat survey were known.

And when members of the review body reconvened via video-link yesterday, Monday, August 17, they were informed that the survey had found two roosts outwith the development area and no breeding birds.

They were also told that Mr Cranston, who has longer-term intentions to convert the upper two floors into two flats and a shop, had agreed to reduce the size of windows at the back of the property and introduce measures to mitigate noise levels.

Members agreed to the application for a joinery workshop with a condition that a noise impact assessment is carried out before conversion starts.

Kelso councillor Simon Mountford said: “I think the key issue obviously comes down to if we are satisfied with the sound insulation. It seems to me, as of our previous meeting, we decided this development was broadly acceptable.”

Tweeddale West ward’s councillor Eric Small added: “What we have got here is an empty building that we would like to see brought back into use. I know that no-one wants to see empty buildings in the Borders’ towns but I think the noise assessment should be carried out first.”

Hawick and Denholm’s councillor Clair Ramage said: “This building has been left and is deteriorating rapidly in an area where there is mixed industrial and residential, so we want to see this being used again.”

Her fellow ward councillor Neil Richards added: “I think the applicant has done a good job on his plans on noise levels and the rest of it and I would like to see him given the go-ahead.”