Debt incurred after a fire destroyed a north-east hotel has been wiped by the local authority.
Aberdeenshire Council has announced the cost of demolishing the Highland Haven after a fire in 2014 would be written off in an effort to open up a “new future” for the site in Macduff’s town centre.
The fire in October was so fierce that at its height about 70 firefighters were called in to tackle the flames.
It was later decided that the building would be unsafe if was left standing, which forced the council’s hand.
A bill understood to be around £200,000 was left for the owners to pick up.
But last night, councillors on the council’s policy committee declared the money as “officially irrecoverable” after months of recovery attempts.
It means that the demolition has been carried out at the expense of the public purse.
Richard Thomson, council co-leader and chairman of the policy committee, said dropping the debt was not an easy decision.
“This site is a focal point in the community and everything possible is being done to ensure that it is redeveloped for the whole of Macduff,” he added.
“Extensive investigations are always carried out before any debt reaches this stage, and due diligence has been fully demonstrated.
“This is not a decision that we take lightly, but in the interests of the wider community it was important to act swiftly.
“This opens up an opportunity for this site in the heart of Macduff to have a bright future and committee today backed the direction.”
The land where the hotel had once stood failed to sell several times following the blaze.
Glasgow auctioneers Future Property Auctions had listed the ground as having a guide price of around £50,000.
And a local buyer has come forward with an ambition of redeveloping the site into homes.
And last night, a spokeswoman for the council said officers were in talks with them to “facilitate future development”.
