New office for Welbeck Estate at Berriedale will restore derelict building
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A plan to turn a building which has been unused for five years into offices for the Welbeck Estate at Berriedale has been lodged with Highland Council.
The estate has applied for a change of use for 1 Mill Road and also wants to carry out alterations to the adjoining property – 2 Mill Road – "to support the existing use as a short-term holiday let."
The proposals are part of wider plans to restore estate properties and bring them back into use and to create employment opportunities in the area.
In a statement which accompanies the application, agents point out that to ensure sustainable tourism growth in the area, the Welbeck Estate "believes it is important to create opportunities for long-term residents to live and work within the village, alongside those visiting as tourists".
Under the plan, 1 Mill Road would be turned into an office which it says would be better suited to the current needs of the estate.
The new location, around 80 yards from the A9 at the start of a private road, would also "enable a greater level of stewardship over the river".
The document states that restoration work to the building fabric would be undertaken while an external toilet at the back of the building would be removed and replaced with an internal, disabled-sized toilet and kitchenette on the ground floor.
Structurally, the property, it is said, appears to be in good condition except for the low wall and large chimney stack. The change of use application also includes the formation of parking areas.
The report says: "The proposed works to 2 Mill Road are confined to the creation of a door-way to allow access to the space behind the rear of the building and introduction of a timber deck, both of which are to support the existing use as a short-term holiday let.
"Both No. 1 and 2 Mill Road are connected to the existing foul water system. It is proposed that heating will be provided by the biomass ‘district’ heating system which the estate has installed below ground up to the boundary of the building.
"The proposed works do not impact or harm the appearance or character of the building or those of the other nearby listed buildings."
Berriedale is located along the popular North Coast 500 route and is also part of the John O'Groats Trail.
"The estate has been owned by the Welbeck Estates since 1857 when it was purchased from the Horne family. Many of the buildings were built by a previous owner Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster in the late 18th century.
"Since the height of the salmon and herring fishing industry in Berriedale, the village population has more than halved, leaving many of the historic buildings unoccupied. It is the ambition of the Welbeck Estate to maintain the character of the area and ensure the upkeep of the historic buildings by bringing them back into use," adds the document.
The application is said to be under consideration.
