Permission sought to demolish former Papdale Halls of Residence

Plans have been lodged to demolish the former Papdale Halls of Residence and clear the site for housing.

The building has largely lain unused since its closure as an accommodation facility in 2013.

Since then, parts of it have been used as a nursery, most recently as the base for the council-run Willow Tree Nursery.

However, the impeding move of the nursery to the new £3 million facility close to UHI Orkney, will finally pave the way for the demolition of the redundant hostel.

The wait for bulldozers to move into the site has been a long-running issue, with the building earmarked for demolition as far back as 2019.

Seven years ago, OIC budgeted £2.5 million for its demolition, with the high costs due to potential contamination issues.

The site has been identified as a prime site for redevelopment for future housing.

For decades, the halls of residence housed secondary school students from both the North and South Isles to enable them to complete their education at Kirkwall Grammar School.

Since its closure, the building has fallen into a state of disrepair, and has been the target of break-ins and vandalism.

The plans have been lodged by Inverness architecture firm Threesixty Architecture, on behalf of the applicant Orkney Islands Council.

Permission is being sought for the demolition of the halls and associated infrastructure, with the removal of all materials.

The site will be taken back to formation level, ready for future redevelopment “that will be covered in a future application by others”.