THE company which tore down a listed Georgian country house in Clackmannanshire without permission has said it will rebuild the building.
Carsebridge House in Alloa, known locally as the Dolls' House, was demolished by Advance Construction (Scotland) on September 18 following a fire three weeks prior.
The roof of the Georgian house, which was built in 1799, was destroyed and the owners had applied for consent to knock down the building.
However, the owners of the building decided to tear down the category B-listed manor despite not receiving permission to do so from the council due to “safety reasons”.
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Police are currently investigating both the demolition and the fire at the property.
It was reported that on the day of the demolition, council officers arrived at the site and ordered the company to stop, but the wrecking team continued to tear down the building over the course of the day.
Advance Construction (Scotland) took over Carsebridge House in 2020 after it had been left vacant since 1984.
A spokesperson for the firm told the BBC that the fire on August 29 caused extensive damage following years of “repeated vandalism” and “unlawful entry”.
He said: “In April 2022, we had a bad accident during working hours whereby a teenager unlawfully entered the building, fell off the roof, and was in a coma for several days.
“This, as well as the number of individuals entering the building, has made us acutely aware of safety issues.
“Following the fire, we commissioned an independent structural engineer’s report as a matter of urgency, and it was very clear that the building could not be saved and was an immediate health and safety risk.”
The owners of the building had previously applied to remove its listed status but were denied.
The spokesperson said the Health and Safety Executive advised the company that “safety takes precedence”.
He added: “Our decision to undertake this was not taken lightly and was purely based on safety issues and a concern to remove any risk to human life.
“We were also aware that it may take some time to deliver the necessary consents from the council to demolish the building, which could heighten the risk.”
Advance Construction (Scotland) have now reportedly pledged to rebuild Carsebridge House on the site in a similar style using facade stone saved in the demolition.
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The firm apparently also offered to relocate a commemorative Doric column, called the Napoleon Pillar, to a location of the local athourity’s choosing.
It has been previously reported that Clackmannanshire Council was considering taking action against the owners, including potentially referring them to the procurator fiscal.
SNP Councillor Graham Lindsay, who is the deputy leader of the Clackmannanshire Council, said: “This building was of significant historical and architectural interest locally and nationally.
“While I appreciate that the building was in a poor condition following the devastating fire, and an application to demolish had been submitted, the demolition work last month was carried out without consent of this council.
“Those responsible should be held fully to account.”
The council agreed that a report on possible next steps should be prepared and presented to the planning committee.
The manor house was home to the founder of Carsebridge Distillery in the neighbouring field.
The building closed in 1983, but the cooperage remained open until 2011, when former owners Diageo moved operations to Cambus, Clackmannanshire.
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