Parking questions as Premier Inn closes in on Pitlochry

Artist's impression of the proposed Premier Inn, taken from Atholl Road - Courtesy of The Harris Partnership

Hotel brand’s public consultation closes

Parking could be one of the key issues surrounding Premier Inn’s Pitlochry dream, with the public consultation on the proposed development now complete.

The hotel brand is seeking to build an 85-bedroom hotel on the site of the current Acarsaid Hotel on Atholl Road – a development they say will bring £3.7m to the Perthshire economy and create 25 full-time jobs.

However, residents heard at October’s open consultation event at Pitlochry Festival Theatre that the plans for the site only contain spaces for 34 cars.

CGI of the proposed Premier Inn - courtesy of The Harris Partnership

Scenario modelling

Representatives for Premier Inn have undertaken parking modelling and produced graphs indicating that the parking would be sufficient for predicted day-time occupancy.

However, outside of this, overspill of Premier Inn customers would likely utilise the 24-hour parking sites on Atholl Road (76 spaces) and Ferry Road (93 spaces).

Premier Inn’s own monitoring suggests the public car parks would be able to cater for this although parking was a talking point amongst attendees at the presentation, as told to PBN

With the deadline for public comments now passed, Premier Inn will consider the responses received and representatives hope to submit a formal planning application shortly through Electra Developments Limited.

Should planning be granted (decision expected in Spring 26), Premier Inn intends to begin building within 12 months, with a completion date for the work being estimated at 18 months.

Jobs boost

The company has stated that the construction work alone on the hotel, restaurant, landscaping and car park would support 35 full-time jobs; figures compiled by Turley Economics whom they commissioned to carry out an Economic Impact Study.

Parent company Whitbread said the hotel design would ‘reflect the character of its surroundings’, with the building being similar in height to the existing hotel.

It said the development will, ‘help diversify the visitor offer in Pitlochry and address the recognised shortfall of branded hotels in Perthshire.’

Of the predicted £3.7m visitor spend bonus to Perthshire, Turley Economics stated that £1.8m of that would be appreciated within Pitlochry itself.

Perthshire Business News covered this development earlier in the year. You can read more, here.