Falkirk Council: Eyesore Braes hotel to be demolished and site brought back into public use

The long-vacant hotel at Slamannan Cross is now derelict and “likely to deteriorate further” as the previous owners, Broch Homes Ltd, went into liquidation and were dissolved in 2022.

Councillor Paul Garner, the administration’s economic development spokesperson, welcomed a proposal to demolish the building, saying it would remove “real, longstanding issues”.

He said: “The community will be really pleased to see the council taking action on this. The building is an eyesore, the owners are a disolved company and there is no prospect of it being redeveloped due to its condition and limited footprint.”

Last October, Conservative councillor Claire Mackie-Brown put forward a motion to Falkirk Council, asking officers to bring a report back to members looking at the best way forward for the former hotel.

The resulting report explained that as the building is now considered ownerless it is being dealt with by the King’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer (KLTR). However, KLTR is currently piloting a new approach, the Ownerless Property Transfer Scheme (OPTS). It aims to remove the substantial obstacles around bringing ownerless land and property back into public use and KLTR have agreed that the Royal Hotel would be suitable as one of the pilot schemes.

The council will acquire the property – which is such poor condition it has been valued by a private chartered valuation surveyors at £0 – and demolish it. The community will then be consulted about future use and some discussions have already taken place.

KLTR will bear the liability of the previous owner being re-stated by Companies House and trying to recover its previously held assets and property, thereby reducing risk to Falkirk Council.

Estimated costs for the project, including taxes and professional and legal fees, are around £25,000 while demolition costs are expected to be between £50-£100,000. The report proposes that these costs would be paid from the council’s £1 million Regeneration Fund.

Councillor Garner said he hoped that this fund would also help put in place whatever is agreed as a replacement. He said: “I hope we will see the site put to good use. This is the largest regeneration project in Slamannan for many years and hopefully there is more to come.”

Conservative group leader James Kerr, who grew up in the village, prompted laughter when he said he “had many a good night” in the hotel. “Unfortunately, through the years it’s deteriorated and it’s been an eyesore for the village. I’m sure that all members will appreciate this happening as this is what the people of Slamannan really want,” he said. “We look forward to seeing what the villagers would like in its place.”

Labour Upper Braes councillors Siobhan Paterson also welcomed the investment.

She said: “Projects like this can really go a long way in reinvigorating villages and I know it will in Slamannan. I’m looking forward to seeing how the project develops – it definitely gets a vote for a green space for me – and I hope that other villages are able to benefit from the regeneration fund as much as Slamannan is.”