Scotia Homes has 'drawn a line in the sand' on Castletown housing plans
THE company behind a plan to convert old buildings on the outskirts of Castletown into a housing development has "drawn a line in the sand" on the project.
Scotia Homes Ltd, which is based in Aberdeenshire, decided not to seek a renewal of its planning consent when it expired.
The company said the site remains on the market with an asking price of over £300,000. The premises were put up for sale in 2019 but Scotia Homes, which planned to convert the old buildings at Castlehill and land nearby into 34 homes, retained the planning permission.
A spokesman for the company comfirmed the application has been withdrawn and said: "We have decided to draw a line in the sand on this development."
He added: "There has been a varied degree of interest in the site but it has dried up in the last nine to12 months. The interest which was shown focused more on tourism and the North Coast 500 route rather than the residential market."
Asked why the interest in the site seems to have abated, he replied: "It could be the level of investment required or the challenges posed by developing the buildings but we hope we can find someone to buy it and make a go of it."
Scotia Homes purchased the site a number of years ago but put its plans on hold at the time of the economic crash in 2008. It said it was keen to go ahead with the development when the market conditions were right but decided to put the site on the market prior to the coronavirus pandemic. The sale is being handled by Bidwells in Inverness.
Its website points out that planning consent was granted for conversion of the steading to form six residential dwellings and the erection of 28 further residential properties while permission was also obtained for commercial units on the site.
"There has been renewed interest in refurbishment of traditional buildings, in conjunction with the growing investment in tourist accommodation and attractions seen both locally and in the wider Caithness area," it says.
The site consists of a range of traditional buildings with an area of arable land immediately adjacent, extending to approximately 6.67 acres (2.7 hectares) and is just a short distance away from the North Coast 500 route which has increased visitors to the area.
Scotia Homes specialises in building houses, ranging from detached and semi-detached properties to terraced homes and bungalows.
