Plans to turn historic Brevik House in Lerwick into a development of more than 30 flats and houses has been “broadly welcomed” by the town’s community council.
No objections were raised by councillors to the planning application submitted by Breiwick Bay Properties Ltd.
The company, which is part of Aberdeen-based property developers Ardent Group and features former isles man Martin Watt as a director, launched the plans after putting a proposal for a hotel on the backburner due to the slow down in the oil and gas industry.
The proposal would see Brevik House on South Road demolished to build 24 social and affordable flats which would then be sold or put up for rent, and up to nine private properties which are proposed to be for sale, with sizes ranging from one-bedroom to five-bedroom.
Lerwick Community Council chairman Jim Anderson said that the “bottom line” was that the proposed development should be welcomed as it would provide more housing options for the town.
He added: “Whether or not Lerwick needs another hotel is a conversation for another day, but what it certainly does need is housing.
“And it’s mixed housing, and something personally I think is starting to get bit short in the town is larger sized family homes.”
Discussions have already taken place between Breiwick Bay Properties Ltd, which has ownership of the site, and Hjaltland Housing Association with regards to the site’s potential affordable housing.
In recent years Brevik House, which was built in 1886 and previously used by the NHS, has been utilised by voluntary group Shetland Solidarity with Refugees for collecting aid donations.
The planning application has attracted a couple of objections from the public so far, with concerns raised in areas such as the number of properties, the style of the buildings and the extra traffic the development could bring.