Published: Wednesday, 13th January, 2010 3:07pm

Council's bid to transform controversial hotel site

EXCLUSIVE - By Ewan McInnes

PLANS: The former Barrhead hotel

A NOTORIOUS Barrhead hotspot could be demolished and developed into housing.

At the council's cabinet meeting tomorrow, a proposal to acquire the former Barrhead Hotel, which last operated as the All Body Gym, on Cross Arthurlie Street, and the former Bingo Hall next door will be discussed.

The cabinet will consider a report which proposes spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on purchasing and developing the site.

It is thought that if East Renfrewshire Council's plans are accepted they would knock down the old building in February and build quality affordable housing on it as part of the town's regeneration.

Tomorrow's meeting will be held in private and the council, who have been looking to acquire the site for several years, are said to be interested in redeveloping the infamous building because they currently have a lack of affordable housing.

A council spokesman insisted that if the council get the green light for this project they would work from the back of the site to cause minimum disruption and would not affect the currently delayed road works on Cross Arthurlie Street.

He confirmed that the proposal will be considered by the cabinet in private at tomorrow's meeting and if approved work will start in the near future.

The council spokesman was keen to emphasis the council's bid is subject to the cabinet's approval.

Residents are thought to be delighted with the news that the building which has not been used for over a year could finally be put to good use.

One resident who wished not to be named said: "After years and years of notoriety when it was the Barrhead Hotel hopefully the building can shake off its shady past.

"Most people in Barrhead have an idea of what went on in there and it looks like those days are gone forever now.

"It's been a long time coming but if the council or whoever are able to develop this into housing then it would be extremely beneficial to the town."

In the past local gangsters used the former notorious Barrhead Hotel to organise drug deals but it was closed down several years ago following a string of police raids.

The late Stewart "Speccy" Boyd, of Neilston, who died in a car crash in Spain in 2003, was a multi-millionaire gang leader and is said to have based his operations from the premises before they were forced to close.

Next door the old bingo hall, which had been lying empty for 10 years, was torched in April 2008 and 40 firefighters and eight engines were needed to tackle the blaze.

Return to: Homepage | News Index | This article