- Plans have been submitted to demolish Allt-na-Reigh in Glencoe, Scotland
- Locals worry a brand new three-bedroom residence may turn into an Airbnb for vacationers
Locals have expressed fears that the location of Jimmy Savile‘s former Scottish Highland cottage may turn into an Airbnb for vacationers to hire out.
Plans have been submitted to demolish the cottage the place the disgraced broadcaster abused as much as 20 victims and exchange it with a brand new residence.
The growth plans have been submitted to Highland Council by the household of Scots retail tycoon Harris Aslam, the director of Fife-based comfort retailer operator Eros Retail.
The cottage sits amongst a few of Scotland’s most dramatic surroundings in Glencoe, with views to the mountain of Bidean nam Bian.
However, locals have raised objections to the plan fearing the brand new residence may turn into an Airbnb for vacationers to hire out. Previous plans submitted final 12 months by the Aslam household to redevelop the location have been withdrawn.
The cottage was purchased by the household of retail tycoon Harris Aslam, who determined the constructing should be torn down in a bid to rid the affiliation with the reviled former occupant
Plans for a brand new three-bed residence have been submitted by architects of Harris Aslam
In objections to Highland Council, John Nish from Stirling mentioned: ‘I want to object to the present plans for creating the cottage.
‘I’ve nothing in opposition to the concept of the property being inhabited once more, significantly within the context of declining inhabitants in areas of the Highlands corresponding to Lochaber.
‘However, as per different feedback, the dimensions of the redevelopment does make me marvel if that is certainly for a household dwelling, or fairly for a possible Airbnb/vacation residence.’
Graham Lawrie, from the Highland village of Kinlochleven, mentioned: ‘Yet once more this proposal isn’t in line with the Glen, and might be a two storey construct and never the one storey of the unique.
‘This is NOT a household residence, which is made apparent by additional lodging within the outbuilding.
Following revelations of late proprietor Savile’s prolific intercourse offences, the cottages has been repeatedly vandalised and had slogans sprayed on its partitions.
It is believed Jimmy Savile abused as much as 20 individuals inside his distant lair nestled within the Highlands
‘The structure screams of a excessive finish vacation/Airbnb let, which can be not in line with the world.
‘As a neighborhood to the world of 56 years, I want to object strongly to this monstrosity of a constructing that’s changing a one storey constructing.’
Another particular person, David McGaw from Glasagow mentioned: ‘The entire factor seems to be like opportunistic Airbnb commercialisation – regardless of the claims on the contrary by the applicant.
‘I might welcome the Highland Council not granting an Airbnb license (now obligatory) for both the prevailing cottage or any potential substitute on the grounds of the harmful and insufficient entry to the property.’
It comes after the National Trust for the Scotland, which owns 14,000 acres of Glencoe, mentioned the plans would destroy the pure great thing about the world.
Clea Warner, NTS regional director for Highlands and Islands, mentioned: ‘The proposed new constructing’s considerably enlarged scale and modern design doesn’t replicate Glen Coe’s long-established, distinct constructed heritage and would insensitively dominate the panorama in a extremely seen location on the coronary heart of the ‘Pass’ of Glen Coe (a spotlight of the Ben Nevis and Glen Coe National Scenic Area).
‘We don’t assume that there’s a adequate justification for this unprecedented innovation or that cheap alternate options don’t exist. It is the views afforded by a drive by way of Glen Coe that make this panorama one among Scotland’s hottest pure wonders.’
Harris Aslam, who now owns the property, needs to drag the cottage down
Artist impression for the brand new three-bed residence in Glencoe, Scotland
Savile purchased the whitewashed cottage in 1998 from famend Scottish mountaineer Hamish MacInnes. He used it as a vacation residence till his dying at age 84 in 2011.
The property’s title, Allt-na-Reigh, roughly interprets as ‘burn of the slope’ from Gaelic, a reference to the stream that runs shut by.
A 12 months later, Savile’s historical past of intercourse abuse, going again 60 years, got here to mild. In all, greater than 450 individuals mentioned the BBC TV and radio star abused them. Three-quarters of his victims have been underneath 18, with some as younger as eight.
Following Savile’s dying in 2011, the two-bedroom bungalow was put up for public sale and purchased for £212,000 by a Glasgow-based builder, earlier than being offered to Aslam 10 years later.
In paperwork submitted to Highland Council, the venture’s architects don’t point out Savile by title and solely describe him as a ‘disgraced earlier proprietor’.
Legendary mountaineer Hamish MacInnes could be honoured on the new constructing
The property is situated in Glencoe within the Scottish Highlands
Architects representing the Aslam household mentioned the cottage had attracted undesirable consideration and had been vandalised.
They careworn the redevelopment of cottage, which sits beside the A82, would additionally honour Dr MacInnes.
Architects mentioned outbuildings the place the climber labored on his creations could be redeveloped as an ancillary dwelling and could be named Hamish House.
Dr MacInnes died in 2020 and invented ice axes and in addition a stretcher that’s utilized by mountain rescue groups all around the world.
The Haslam household’s architects mentioned of the plan: ‘The proposal is for a 3-bedroom household residence over a 1.75 storey dwelling with top quality architectural design and alluring areas which benefit from the surroundings.
‘In addition to retaining the prevailing outhouses discovered alongside the doorway following the prevailing entry level to the location off the A82.
‘The outhouses are the unique workshops of the beforehand talked about mountaineer Hamish MacInnes the place he developed and invented well-known tools.
‘It is on this reminiscence that this unit is to be designed as ancillary lodging to the principle dwelling and to be named the Hamish House to retain that side of historical past.’
MailOnline understands the Aslam household deny any claims the house might be an Airbnb.
Representatives for Aslam have been approached for remark by MailOnline.