Major plans to build a retirement village in the grounds of Caldwell House — labelled the “last chance” to save the at-risk listed building — are set to go before councillors this month.
East Renfrewshire’s planning committee is expected to consider Caldwell Developments’ application for the land near Uplawmoor when it meets on August 24.
If approved, the scheme would see the Robert Adam-designed Caldwell House, which is on the ‘buildings at risk’ register, restored and used as 15 assisted living flats. Offices, a cafe, shop and a hair and beauty salon would also be created.
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Exclusively for over 55s, the project also includes a retirement village on the Caldwell Estate, to fund work on the A-listed building, made up of a 60-bed care home, 51 assisted living flats and 122 bungalows. The B-listed former Keeper’s House would be restored and converted into a single home.
An objection from the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has been pulled while Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has supported the plan. However, tree conservation charity, the Woodland Trust, has opposed the project due to a loss of trees.
Caldwell Developments claims the restoration of Caldwell House and its estate will provide a “significant public benefit which improves this part of the green belt”.
Scott Kennedy, director of Caldwell Developments, said: “We are acutely aware of the environmental impact of development and so we are delighted that SEPA has removed its objections.
“We believe we have put forward a deliverable and environmentally sympathetic proposal to save this unique and historically important listed building of cultural importance.”
He added: “There is a huge demographic challenge with regards to elderly care and we hope this can play one part in providing the kind of quality, specialist facilities that many older people now wish to access later in life.
“There is no doubt that the restoration of Caldwell House can both provide a magnificent setting for future residents as well as preserving this internationally important, architectural gem. This setting will be publicly available to East Renfrewshire residents.”
Mr Kennedy said previous plans to restore this building “have fallen by the wayside over the years” but the building is “still sound and can be restored”. “What is most important is there are no alternative means to finance the restoration costs. It is fair to say this is perhaps the last chance to save Caldwell House.”
Restoring Caldwell House, the Keeper’s House and the estate is reported to cost around £15m while the sale of the properties have been valued at £4m, leaving a conservation deficit of £11m.
The developers have said the “enabling development” — the village — is expected to cost £52.8m and raise £63.9m. “The surplus from the sale of the enabling development is only that equivalent to the value of the conservation deficit,” the plans added.
The firm’s application also stated 85 full and part-time jobs in care and other services will be created if the proposals go ahead while 200 jobs would be provided during construction.
Designed by Robert Adam in the 1770s for William Mure, Baron of the Scottish Exchequer, Caldwell House was bought by Govan District Health Board in 1927. In the 1990s, there were plans to use the house as a nursing home but these never materialised and the building was damaged by an extensive fire in 1995.
The ‘Caldwell Village’ scheme would also include the demolition of unlisted buildings on site, upgraded access with a new roundabout and the repair and creation of nearly 5km of paths giving “access to scenic vistas over the estate”.
SEPA removed an initial objection in May this year as it was “satisfied” concerns over the impact on groundwater dependent terrestrial ecosystems had been addressed.
However, the Woodland Trust has said: “Ancient woods and trees are irreplaceable habitats, once lost they are gone forever. The Woodland Trust objects to this proposal due to the direct loss of irreplaceable habitats.”
According to the plans, a total of 23.5 hectares of woodland would be felled but 17.5 hectares would be replanted. “Overall, the proposal will result in the loss of 6ha of woodland and 4.5ha of woodland will be provided as compensatory planting within the site.”
A further two hectares of compensatory planting would be provided off site, the application claims.
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