St Peter’s House, the former care home in Stromness is to be put up for sale by Orkney Islands Council.
St Peter’s House occupies a prominent site extending to 0.5 hectares with commanding views across Stromness. The internal floor area extends to 1,690 square metres comprising a stone-built manse dating from the early 1900’s, an extension dating from the 1960’s and a further extension dating from the 1990’s. The building is in a reasonable but tired condition and was no longer serviceable as a modern care home for older people.
The community of Stromness was consulted about how they would like the town to develop. The Stromness Place Plan – What’s Next for Stromness, wished to see the St Peter’s House building repurposed as student accommodation and/or low cost housing. There is a shortage in Orkney and in Stromness of both these types of housing.
“The plan is intended to positively influence the future sustainable development of Stromness for the benefit of the entire community. It contains a workable action plan to address community needs comprehensively. It aims to make Stromness an accessible, active and sustainable place to live, work, learn, visit and play.”
The Orkney News published several articles about the community place making scheme you can read one here:
What’s Next For Stromness: Draft Plan Published
And here is a link to the finished document: What’s Next For Stromness
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“The Stromness Place Plan – What’s Next for Stromness, wished to see the St Peter’s House building repurposed as student accommodation and/or low cost housing. There is a shortage in Orkney and in Stromness of both these types of housing.”
So, they’re selling it, presumably to the highest bidder.
It really is hard to see any structure to OIC’s plans – apart from making a quick buck for OIC.
There’s a lot of talk about concern about peoples mental health – some of that talk, comes from OIC.
The behaviour of OIC, is not good for my mental health. I got up this morning, read this article, and…bombed. Went off into a feeling of helplessness.
This property will now probably be sold to the highest bidder – probably to a developer or entrepreneur of some kind. It will therefore go out of any kind of public ownership – OIC is, after all, supposedly run for us, and its assets, are supposed to be our assets.
If any of the local colleges would like to buy it as student accommodation – which is much needed – they will be priced out by the big money companies/organizations. OIC leader Mr Stockan lauds the fact that Orkney is becoming a world leader in research and innovation, and yet, apparently, isn’t prepared to help this, by helping to provide accommodation for the increasing numbers of students.
It could, alternatively, be used as affordable rental accommodation, to replace what has been lost to public ownership in recent decades.
But – it’s going to be sold – and will probably be of no use to the community or the people of Orkney.
And this, is being done by the people we have voted in to look after our interests. And they keep getting voted in.
I try not to let myself feel like I’m drowning in a tidal wave of self-interest and greed on the part of those who have control over so many aspects of our lives, but – this has really got me going.
I have no personal interest in this – no children who need student accommodation, and, thank goodness, we have a place to live. But – believe it or not, I don’t only go by what serves my own purposes.
After reading about what is going to happen to St. Peter’s, I now need something to help me to feel that all is not lost, and that there are at least some un-selfish, non-money grabbing people in the world, and, preferably, in power at local, national and international levels.
Where are they? What can we do, to get them in control? Voting, doesn’t appear to work – the general public, appears to have some kind of self-destruct mechanism.
I give up.
PS
As we only get shopping once a week, on a Saturday – I’ve only just seen an item in The Orcadian, dated Thursday 25th June, in the ‘Property ‘ section.
I’ll quote a paragraph, re. the Stromness Place Plan……………
“The plan included an aspiration that the building be considered for other uses such as student housing, low cost homes for local need, and specialist elderly housing through refurbishment and/or demolition and new build – all of which could potentially be achieved through private developer ownership.”
Hmmmmm. We’ll have to wait and see what happens. I have a feeling that ‘private developer ownership‘ will be the outcome.
I was also interested to see the OIC response to my letter.
Again – hmmmmm. Consultations – hmmmmm.