An MP has urged the Ministry of Defence to sell historic buildings rather than let them deteriorate while standing empty.
The MoD bought the B-listed South Lodge of West Shandon House in July 2014 for £180,000 ‘to protect the building’, but there is still no indication of what it will be used for.
On the other side of the A814 is another B-listed building, the former St Andrews School, which has been empty for many years, suffering vandalism and classed as ‘high risk’ by Historic Scotland.
This week a Faslane spokesperson said: “The MoD continues to appropriately manage and maintain both the former St Andrews School site and the Southern Lodge of West Shandon House.”
But Argyll and Bute MP Brendan O’Hara said: “I don’t think there’s anything appropriate about allowing historic and local building assets to fall into disrepair, nor for them to not be used for the common good.
“It is simply unacceptable that these buildings are allowed to sit and deteriorate year on year.
“If the MoD cannot use these assets, they should be sold on to someone who will make good use of them before it’s too late.”
An MoD representative was asked about the purchase of the South Lodge by Rhu and Shandon community councillors back in 2015, and said it had been bought to ensure it was properly protected.
Last year a spokesperson said the MoD was ‘continuing to evaluate options’ for both sites.
In 2015 the MoD said the lodge had been bought because it was so close to the base’s south gate it ‘will be a useful addition to the estate footprint’, adding that ‘a number of options’ were being considered for its future use.
The South Lodge was designed by J T Rochead, who also designed the Wallace monument near Stirling and the nearby Blairvadach building.
The former St Andrews School has suffered from vandalism and ‘incursions’ with ‘temporary structures’ erected, an MoD representative admitted to Rhu and Shandon Community Council in 2016.
The meeting also heard that graffiti had been sprayed and vandals had attacked the building, which was designed by Glasgow architect Charles Wilson and originally called Shandon House.
Ten years ago planners said it had extensive areas of both wet and dry rot, falling lintels and falling plasterwork.
The Buildings at Risk register adds: “External inspection finds the building remains vacant and in deteriorating condition; whilst the building looks fair from a distance, closer inspection reveals many defects.”
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