Ambitious plans have been unveiled to build an extension and make alterations to east wing of The King Charles III-owned Dumfries House and create a new permanent wedding venue.
Ayrshire Live can reveal that the plan also involves the building of a new biomass building to help power energy to the new feature.
A planning application has been submitted to East Ayrshire Council, seeking listed building consent for the works to be carried out at the historic Ayrshire home.
Agents in the proposals are Simpson & Brown Architects and the applicant is Gwilym Evans, on behalf of The King’s Foundation.
The site of the proposed new wedding and events venue is where the current temporary events marquee sits.
The existing marquee is subject to a separate planning application and the applicants hope to dismantle it and re-erect it in a separate location.
A supporting statement says: “The proposals seek to provide a new facility which can cater for up to 200 guests in unique surroundings, while being sensitive to Dumfries House and its context.
“Since the opening to the public of Dumfries House Estate to the public in 2008, The Great Steward of Scotland’s Dumfries House Trust (now The King’s Foundation) has had the aim of using the house and wider estate to help regenerate and boost the local economy. Dumfries House has become a significant visitor attraction in the south of Scotland and the various activities on the estate now employ more than 150 people.
“Dumfries House has also become a successful wedding venue. The weddings and other events have been held in a temporary pavilion to the north east of the main house, set behind the East Wing and pavilion.
“The primary function of the proposed extension is to provide a permanent venue for weddings, unique in character, and of the highest quality. The reception and banqueting spaces will accommodate up to 200 guests, with state-of-the-art facilities in the former east yard providing service and support.”
The statement goes on: “The proposals in this application will replace the temporary pavilion with a permanent wedding venue. The new pavilion will be an architectural improvement over the current pavilion, and its use as a wedding and event space will provide an income to support the continued conservation of Dumfries House and its estate.
“The use for weddings, events and conferences is strongly compatible with the architecture and arrangement of Dumfries House. The estate is an asset to the community, and also the broader economy of East Ayrshire. It is therefore vital to find strong forms of income which enhance the character and quality of Dumfries House.
“Weddings are a well-established, existing use. The temporary pavilion has proven there is a reliable market for life events. As well as proving the case for the market, the temporary wedding pavilion has also helped inform the design and layout of the permanent replacement.”
The proposed extension consist of one large room with the “character of a ballroom.” It will be connected to the service area set behind the 18th Century screen walls at the extreme east end of the main south front of Dumfries House. The accommodation within these screen walls will provide toilets, a pump room for the bar, circulation and other supporting accommodation.
All these functions are needed, say the applicants, to “support the use of the new events space.”
The plans also reveal that the new ballroom will be connected with Robert Wier Schultz’s 1897 extension with a connecting corridor and new door opening. And the existing window opening within the Rothesay Room will be “enlarged” to form a “direct link” with the new courtyard garden.
The eastern passage and associated buildings to the east of the Rothesay Room will be “substantially altered” too.
And a new building “is needed” to house the biomass plant that will be located immediately to the east of the extension.
The installation of solar panels are also part of the proposals.
A decision on the proposals could be made before Christmas.