Plans to transform former Farmfoods in Bathgate into short-term let hotel rejected

Plans to turn a former frozen food store in Bathgate’s town centre into a 39-bed short term let hotel have been rejected by West Lothian councillors.

The Development Management Committee heard local councillor Pauline Stafford slate cramped bedrooms rooms with “not even room for a chair”, and lack of staff or guest facilities in the building which had recently housed Farmfoods.

Planners had recommended the proposals for the two storey building which occupies a town centre plot next to the partnership centre in South Bridge Street.

The retail unit has lain empty since Farmfoods moved to new premises in Bathgate in late 2021.

Mumtaz Hussain applied for planning permission for the change of use of the former shop to form short term letting accommodation over both the ground and first floor level, as well as changes to door openings and windows.

The move from retail to hotel or hostel use is with the rules for town centres.

A report to the DMC said: “The application includes the formation of 39 short term let rooms over two floors, each with en-suite shower facilities. Access to the building is proposed through the entrance onto South Bridge Street whereby there would be a staffed reception area. There are no kitchen facilities.”

A report to the meeting advised: “The proposed use of letting rooms is compatible with the surrounding uses of Bathgate town centre.”

There were four objections to the application. One said: “There is no requirement for additional short term accommodation in the area, with the former Dacoll building at the rear being utilised for this purpose.

“I believe we should be encouraging a growth in the local economy and supporting businesses to use these empty retail spaces, as opposed to re-purposing the buildings as short term let accommodation”

Another said: “Short-term lets, by their nature, do not provide the same stability and job opportunities for the local workforce that established businesses, such as hotels and inns, offer.

“We need permanent and consistent investment that will help revitalize our local economy, not more accommodation options that predominantly serve transient guests and offer minimal economic return in terms of long-term employment or local engagement.”

In July last year councillors expressed concern when developers won permission t convert the former Dacoll premises in Gardners Lane into 25 short term let flats.

With only 20 parking spaces for the new development, Chair of the committee Harry Cartmill, Bathgate’s Labour councillor, raised concern about parking around the building given the nearest public parking was at the foot of the very steep Gardners Lane.

Fellow town councillor Stafford moved to refuse the application, pointing out there are now almost 300 hotel beds in the town – most used as short term accommodation for the homeless.

She said: “We have more than enough hotel accommodation in Bathgate.”

Senior planning officer Tony Irving told the meeting: “We don’t know exactly who would be the client group, it could be tourists, it could be people working in the area.”

Conservative group leader Councillor Damian Doran-Timson, had warned there was a danger of falling into the trap of “not on my doorstep, but somewhere else.” Nevertheless, he expressed doubts about the number and quality of jobs promised by development.

Councillor Stafford said: “It is an over-concentration of rooms for a town the size of Bathgate. The design of this is very poor; there are windows right onto a busy footpath. Parking is an issue. The rooms are very cramped. They don’t even have room for a chair. I doubt very much if you could have wheelchair access.”

Councillor Pauline Clark, who seconded refusal, said the hotel would be to house homeless people added: “I think it’s doubtful this hotel will add any vitality to the town of Bathgate.”