£75m spa village plans submitted

Plans for a £75m luxury spa village at Glenbervie House Hotel near Falkirk, central Scotland, have been submitted to the local authority by the property's owner, hotelier Steven McLeod.

A detailed outline planning application was submitted to Falkirk Council on 22 December for the project, which includes a five-star hotel with more than 220 bedrooms and associated facilities, seasonal ownership and a spa. The hotel development will feature a combination of executive rooms, suites and penthouses styled by one of Scotland's top design houses, and fitted with air conditioning and five-piece bathrooms, most of which will include a whirlpool.

A grand ballroom with a capacity of 1,200 guests, capable of being divided into three smaller suites, and a 600-seat auditorium feature among the plans, as well as 16 smaller meeting rooms, and two restaurants. The three-storey Cloud Nine Spa will feature a 22m (72.2ft) indoor Ozone swimming pool, internal and external roof hydro pools and water facilities, a dry sauna and a wet sauna.

Squash facilities, 18 beauty treatment rooms and associated relaxation areas, a branded hair salon and an extensive gym have also been earmarked as part of the development, as have a dance studio and a juice bar. Aurora Hotels and Resorts, McLeod's hotel company, owns and operates the Glenbervie House Hotel, which it acquired in 2007 as a private residence, transforming it into a five-star hotel as part of a £5m project.

McLeod said: "The entire project will be unlike anything on offer in the Falkirk or central Scotland area, and the creation of this hotel and the homes will give employment to hundreds of people locally, in addition to attracting people and further investment to the Falkirk area." Aurora Hotels and Resorts also owns and operates the four-star Airth Castle Hotel and Spa, and is set to expand further with new hotel development sites secured in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling.