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PLANS have been lodged for a luxury housing development next to an historic Bishopton hotel.
Mar Estates Ltd has submitted proposals to build 28 four and five-bedroom detached homes in the grounds surrounding the Mar Hall Golf and Spa Resort.
If given approval, the development would include a forest walk, lawned gardens and pedestrian and cycle routes, in what is being described as a “new residential community.”
The proposed site is bordered by the golf course and is situated to the east of Mar Hall – a building which is steeped in history.
Formerly known as Erskine House, it sits amid 200 acres of the Earl of Mar Estate and was originally built in the mid-1800s for the 11th Lord Blantyre, Major General Robert Walter Stuart.
After the Blantyre line became extinct in 1900, the building reopened in 1916 as a hospital for limbless soldiers and sailors and was the second-largest specialist hospital of its kind in the UK.
In 2004, it underwent a £15million restoration and was turned into the five-star hotel that stands on the site today.
If given the green light, the development would not only boast views of the 19th-century building but also of the Kilpatrick Hills and the Clyde Estuary.
A meeting has already taken place between Renfrewshire Council, the applicant and agents Jewitt and Wilkie Architects, where council planning bosses confirmed they were in favour of the development, pending a full application.
It is hoped the development will continue to contribute to the economic growth of the estate, after permission was granted for 20 holiday lodges to be built in 2014.
A design and access statement submitted to the council declares: “The vision is to create a sustainable community that is embedded within the beautiful and diverse setting of the site.
“This site has a history and character that we believe should be sensitively and actively incorporated to create a place that will be cherished by those that live and work there today and in the future.
“It is expected that the proposal is considered appropriate for the location as it would see a continuation of an approved use at the site, providing additional residential accommodation to the constituents of Renfrewshire Council.
“The proposal would contribute to sustainable economic growth of the Mar Estate.”
Mar Estates Ltd has said trees within the site would be largely retained and “careful consideration” has been given to the layout and design to ensure the development respects the rural setting and does not detract from Mar Hall.
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