The owner of the 150-year-old Lodge Hotel at Old Rayne has been given the go-ahead to demolish the building after the plans spent five years in limbo.
Gerry Cassidy has been granted permission from Aberdeenshire Council to tear down the historic venue and replace it with four houses.
Built in the 1800s, The Lodge Hotel at Old Rayne last welcomed guests in 2008.
And over a decade on since its closure, planning chiefs concede the decaying former hotel, pub and restaurant has “little to no likelihood of being resurrected”.
What’s happened to Old Rayne hotel approved for demolition?
A drop in trade and financial difficulty meant the business was put up for sale 17 years ago.
After failing to find a new owner for the building, Mr Cassidy then submitted plans to tear down the venue in December 2020.
Documents sent to Aberdeenshire Council revealed that surveys undertaken in 2016 showed it would take £226,000 of repairs to bring the rotting venue back to life.
But during its period of closure, the old inn continued to deteriorate further.
Plans then ramped up in 2023, when Mr Cassidy submitted a building warrant for a £30,000 demolition project.
But some said they would be sad to see it go.
‘Lodge Hotel was the heart of the village’
The Lodge Hotel dates back to being a community hub for Old Rayne since at least 1870.
Locals expressed their fears over losing the historic building, as 14 letters objecting to the demolition were submitted to Aberdeenshire Council.
In one letter, Old Rayne resident Sian Johnstone said: “It is a statuesque old building which was the centre of the community.
“It is a travesty that it has been allowed to fall into disrepair, only to be knocked down for yet more housing.”
Architect Annie Kenyon, known for her work repairing old buildings, expressed her concerns over losing the hotel that “has historically been the heart of the village”.
“Please do not let Aberdeenshire lose yet another wonderful building just because its easier to knock it down,” the expert pleaded.
What do you think about the plans to demolish The Lodge Hotel for houses in Old Rayne? Let us know in our comments section below
So why did the council approve the demolition plan?
A freshly published planning report details the reasons for the decision.
Documents state: “Although the loss of the hotel is regrettable there appears little to no likelihood of it being resurrected.
“It is fairly clear that reasonable efforts have been made to market the property and that no interest has been forthcoming.
“In the interim the condition of the property has continued to deteriorate to the point where restoration and re-purposing would in all probability be economically un-viable.”
Planning papers noted that because the building “is neither listed nor in a conservation area” the council “has no powers in planning terms to insist that the owner maintains the property”.
They add: “The fact of the matter is that the Council cannot compel the owner to re-open the premises for a tourist-related business”.
You can see the plans for yourself here.
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