Plans to knock down fire-damaged former nursing home in Paisley back on table
Plans to knock down a fire-damaged former nursing home in Paisley are back on the table after a fresh application was submitted to Renfrewshire Council.
The owner has returned with a request to fully demolish the B-listed Speirsfield House in Stevenson Street after it was hit by a second fire last month.
A previous proposal to flatten the original structure and specific extensions was put forward in September, following a blaze in August, but was later withdrawn.
However, the future of the property, which engineers say has suffered extensive damage, could soon be determined as architects make the case its repair and reuse is not viable.
The market value of the house, if fully refurbished, has been estimated at roughly £950,000 but it has been argued the works to get it to that stage could cost £3.5 million.
A supporting statement said: "It is proposed that this report would be used to support a new listed building consent application for demolition on the basis that the repair of the building is not economically viable and there has been adequate marketing for existing and/or new uses at a price reflecting its location and condition for a reasonable period to attract interest from potential restoring purchasers.
"We have demonstrated a development deficit of around £2.6m and our surveyors are of the opinion that even if an extensive marketing period was set up, there would be little chance of a sale in the current state."
The statement continued: "It is accepted that the building has been badly damaged by the fire and that uncontrolled collapse is a concern.
"If urgent work is required to address this, it should be the minimum required to remove any danger to public safety from uncontrolled collapse."
The Victorian mansion, designed by architect John Hutchison, is thought to have been built around 1874 but is now a shadow of its former self.
Emergency services attended in May and a fire was extinguished by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. This followed a blaze at the site last August.
A decision on the latest application, which is expected to be determined by the council's planning and climate change policy board, will be made at a later date.
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