By Andrew Jarret

A FRESH planning application for the former Seaforth Hotel site in Arbroath is about to be lodged which could see another small hotel created in the area.

Developers have indicated their plans on an online Arbroath chat forum for a combined commercial and residential development.

The plans show 44 two-bedroom flats, including up to eight “affordable units” in a four-storey block plus a “modern hotel facility” comprising 17 en suite bedrooms and a restaurant/pub/function room, within landscaped grounds.

The saga of the Seaforth Hotel, its recent purchase, aborted planning attempt, subsequent fire and demolition, has provided an extremely hot topic for contributors to the TheShoppie.com forum.

Developer Mr Steven Smith said, “Hopefully this prime and highly visible site will have a development that people will welcome and appreciate, and from a tired and largely unattractive hotel to a burnt out shell to a pile of rubble, will eventually rise a mixed use scheme that I will be proud of and the people who live in Arbroath will use, buy and be very happy with.”

The cleared ground where the hotel stood until fire raged through it in August was the subject of a special report to Angus councillors recently.

The infrastructure services report was brought forward because, although there is broad local plan guidance for the seafront site, no specific policy exists in respect of the land which the Seaforth Hotel occupied.

Angus Council are keen to introduce measures to protect what they term as a “long-established aim” of limiting development in the seafront area to recreational, tourist and open space uses.

Redevelopment for a hotel or travel lodge is the first-choice option, according to the local authority, with leisure club use and open space being second and third choice options.