House plans for Kilcreggan Hotel garden site are approved

Paul Milligan’s application for the Argyll Road site was met with no objections or expressions of support submitted to Argyll and Bute Council.

The hotel closed its doors in 2018, and its main buildings are currently being converted into five flats, with a planning application approved the following year.

The proposal for the house in the garden ground is for a three or four-bedroom property, with a new access route from Donaldson’s Brae.

A council planning officer said in a handling report: “The site the subject of this application was formerly part of is the garden grounds of the Kilcreggan Hotel. It slopes from north to south, with a fall of approximately 4.5 metres.

“Access to the site is from Donaldson’s Brae. The site is overgrown with the original garden shrubs and trees and is bounded by a stone wall (listed).

“The proposal is to subdivide the garden area of the former Kilcreggan Hotel and construct a three or four-bedroom house with a double garden, [and] parking for three cars including a turning area.

“The proposal involves taking a new access from Donaldson’s Brae and this will involve the partial removal of the listed boundary wall.

“With regard to setting, the application site is clearly evident on site as being separate to the curtilage of the former Kilcreggan Hotel.

“The former hotel is located at a higher level than the application site and in addition there is some existing vegetation between the two properties and also the proposal includes a section of new fencing.

“The proposed fence is not considered to be the most sensitive of boundary treatment (trees, rubble wall or metal estate style fence) but it is agreed that it creates a sense of ‘new’ separation between the listed property and the proposed development.”

The officer added: “The proposal is considered to be consistent with the development plan and is therefore recommended that it is approved subject to conditions.”