Concerns have been expressed over the condition of a vacant former Bridge of Allan hotel building ‘open to the elements’.
The C-listed Royal Ivy Hotel on Henderson Street was recently the subject of a planning application to partially demolish the building and create a three-storey, 70-bed, care home.
That plan, submitted by Simply UK, was recently withdrawn and it is expected that new plans will be submitted.
Bridge of Allan Community Council chairman Mike Watson pointed to the building’s deterioration at the group’s montly meeting on Tuesday evening.
He said a lack of security at the building had resulted in vandalism.
Light fixtures had been stolen from the building in September and graffiti sprayed on walls following a break-in sometime between December 19 and January 6.
Mr Watson emphasised that it was a listed building in a Conservation Area and enquired what Stirling Council could do about it.
Dunblane and Bridge of Allan councillor Douglas Dodds pointed to a palisade fence at the back of the bulding “as a preventative measure”.
Community council secretary Leslie Harkness said: “Police have assured me they have made a request to the owner and the council simply to board up all windows and doors. That will deal with the vandalism. They say they have insisted on that to the council.”
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That, he added, would “slow down the rate of vandalism and prevent the elements from wreaking havoc inside.”
It was also agreed that the community council would write to Historic Environment Scotland (HES) on the matter.
The HES listed building website portal describes the building as an early Victorian symmetrical two-storey building with Regency-style porch and an ‘unfortunate’ recent single-storey addition to the right.
Stirling Council have been contacted for comment.
