South Ayrshire Council will have to come up with a plan B for fire-ravaged Belleisle House after no partner was found for its £12.5 million plan to restore the historic building as a hotel.
The B-Listed building in Ayr was ravaged by a fire in 2019 after a worker’s blowtorch accidentally set fire to the roof which set off a chain of events that lead to the council buying it back.
After being refused permission for demolition, the council were advised by Historic Environment Scotland to look at reinstating the building as a hotel or look at an alternative use.
Around a year ago, a report outlined options for renovating the property into a hotel/function venue with up to 20 rooms and 200-capacity function space costing in the region of £12.5m – a figure which would require a joint venture including public and private investment.
In June a tender for the plan was advertised nationally and, despite extending the original four-week advert by a further four weeks, no bids were made from the 14 notes of interest.
The reasons provided by the companies for lack of interest included an unwillingness to commit to a 25-year partnership with the council, others who did not have the level of experience for the nature of the contract, and those who wanted to take on the development but not the operation of a hotel.
Councillors will now be asked to choose a way forward on the Belleisle project.