Falkirk Council: Slamannan's eyesore Royal Hotel may be demolished

Next week’s meeting of Falkirk Council will have a report on the poor condition of the former Royal Hotel, which sits on a corner site at the Cross and High Street in the village. The long-vacant hotel is now derelict and “likely to deteriorate further” as the previous owners, Broch Homes Ltd, went into liquidation and were dissolved in 2022.

Last October, Conservative councillor Claire Mackie-Brown put forward a motion to Falkirk Council, asking officers to bring a report back to members looking at the best way forward for the eyesore.

A report going to members next Wednesday explains that as the property is now considered ownerless it is being dealt with by the King’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer (KLTR). However, KLTR is currently piloting a new approach, the Ownerless Property Transfer Scheme (“OPTS”).

It aims to remove the substantial obstacles around bringing ownerless land and property back into public use and KLTR have agreed that the Royal Hotel would be suitable as one of the pilot schemes. The council will acquire the property – which is such poor condition it has been valued by a private chartered valuation surveyors at £0 – and demolish it. The community will then be consulted about future use.

KLTR will bear the liability of the previous owner being re-stated by Companies House and trying to recover its previously held assets and property, thereby reducing risk to Falkirk Council.

If the council agrees to go ahead, there will be costs including taxes and professional and legal fees of around £25,000 while demolition costs are expected to be between £50-£100,000. The report proposes that these costs would be paid from the council’s existing £1 million Regeneration Fund.

Consultation with Slamannan residents is already ongoing and the report says that “those engaged so far have expressed strong views on the poor condition and appearance of this significant village site and are keen for it to be considered for future investment”.

Falkirk Council will discuss the report next Wednesday, June 28 at 10 am at a meeting in Grangemouth Community Education Unit, 69-71 Abbots Road, Grangemouth. The meeting will also be livestreamed.