Inverness riverside hotel rebrand plans approved by Highland Council; the Strathness House Hotel and its Tiger on the Wall restaurant could be renamed the Ambassador Hotel and Talk of the Town
A rebrand for a prominent Inverness riverside hotel and restaurant look set to go ahead after a planning application was given the green light.
Applicant Mars Projects Ltd lodged proposals earlier this year for new exterior signs on the currently mothballed Strathness House Hotel and its popular on-site eatery Tiger on the Wall - which sit in Ardross Terrace next to the River Ness and opposite Inverness Cathedral.
Artwork submitted alongside the application showed that the hotel could rebrand as the Ambassador Hotel, while the Tiger on the Wall would flip to Talk of the Town.
Although the sites are currently closed, there have been long gestating plans to return them to use. These have included changes at the hotel itself and the creation of dedicated staff accommodation in a former guest house in nearby Kenneth Street.
Granting approval for the new signage in Ardross Terrace, council planning officer Ross Cubey said that earlier objections from the local authority's historic environment team had been resolved after revisions to the design of the signs and the illumination of them.:
"The Historic Environment Team (Conservation) initially objected to the proposed signage in order to safeguard the character and special qualities of the listed building. However, following discussions with the Conservation Officer, the applicant has revised the design to address these concerns.”
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"Notably, this includes the removal of the illuminated wall-mounted fascia sign that was considered to have a detrimental impact on the setting of the listed building. It is now considered that the two remaining fascia signs are acceptable and do not adversely affect the character or appearance of the listed building or the wider conservation area."
They added that the proposals had also received a couple of objections from the public, also with regard to them "being considered out of character with the surrounding area".
But the council officer said that the modified changes were acceptable. These included the removal of one of the originally proposed facade signs.
They also noted that a separate application of "the large scale installation of fascia lighting" originally submitted alongside this proposal had been withdrawn "as it was considered to have a negative impact on the listed building and conservation area".
The newly-revised signs will include illumination of their own, but this was considered acceptable following consultation and changes.
"The proposed LED strip up-lighting has been agreed in consultation with the Conservation Officer," said the planning officer. "The lighting specification includes a colour temperature of 300K, a wattage of 9W, and a luminous output of 420 lumens.
"The detailed design of both the signage and lighting is considered appropriate and is not expected to have a detrimental impact on the character or appearance of the listed building or the wider conservation area."