All new systems are now integrated and live.
In the interim, we have had a few messages and phone calls, from individuals asking only (having heard via word-of-mouth), 'Are you now charging for parking?', to which we have replied by sending the above explainer article. It is heartening to see subsequent responses when the actual scale of what we are delivering is actually fully understood, beyond the aspect of simply applying parking charges.
The above article concludes with:
Within all areas which Balbirnie House has in ownership, we of course have 100% responsibility for upkeep, maintenance and improvement. Today's new blog focusses on how we potentially see the further future, and as already fully worked through and designed with the companies involved, what we would need to do, and how much we would need to invest, in order to eventually get there. Stating the obvious, we are always keen to be doing everything we can, to bring tourism and business into the geographic heart of Fife. Having opened as a hotel in the late 1980s, over the course now of the five decades, we have very clearly delivered an absolutely epic level of financial input to local community, across the span of employment, tourism tax generation, supplies, suppliers, local shops, overflow accommodation, taxi firms, and so on. Long may that continue.
Our Balbirnie House investments in parking portfolio thus far as stated are circa £100,000 - here is exactly what we would need to invest, for the potential further future.
Imagine Balbirnie House years from now? We certainly want to be looking back to the decisions being taken today, and hope to be able to be truly happy that we've done our absolute best for our customers, our team, the areas around the house, and the environment, and the sustainable future.
Over the course of the next decade alone, our management team envisage that we will have capability to see circa £75M transacted at Balbirnie House. That, is the scope of the infrastructure which we need to deliver and maintain on an ongoing basis.
Phase 2 therefore.
Add an additional new electrical substation £70,000
Ten further EV chargers (new parking bays image lower right) £60,000
Plus costs for new detail landscaping, new surfacing, new drainage systems, and new hedging, so as to correspond with planning consents which we actually achieved in the first decade of this century.
This is what the planning consent looks like: new parking lower right side.
It would certainly be wonderful to eventually do this, because the new hedging was designed in conjunction with architect and planners, to create a visual barrier for those arriving to Balbirnie House, with the view therefore focused on the emerging drama of the arrival to the category A listed house itself, as opposed to that of parked cars. Phase 3.
Five additional new EV chargers in car parks to the north-west of the house, plus five more for our current hotel brigade parking areas, plus potentially one or two mega-fast (250kW) Superchargers. 80% charge in 10 minutes! £100,000
If, as and when all aspects with phases 2 and 3 combine, we are looking at a sum circa £350,000 for eventual total potential investment in EV charging infrastructure and parking portfolio. This of course excludes all usual ongoing investments we need to make for maintenance, re-surfacing, new stone chips, new intended wildflower planting, driveway post repairs (which we have just spent £5,000 on this month), CCTV updates, our contributions to the entire driveway itself, and so on.
Given the ongoing acceleration in EV sales and transitioning to clean energy, this further potential would of course even further enhance capabilities to deliver even more for the future. So how will we fund this? The answer to that, (if indeed we are to proceed further) is phased and gradually.
Beyond Phase 3 and heading into a Phase 4 future that nobody has even seen yet? It's worth also mentioning that the contemplation of the (perhaps not-too-distant) future doesn't stop at road cars. As we have been mentioning on twitter for years, as the crow flies Balbirnie House is actually only 14 miles from Edinburgh city centre!
And what that flying EV looks like? We therefore continue to set aside the main grassed areas (currently around our helicopter landing pad south of the house) for that eventual future (and flying EV charging) whenever it arrives.
In the meantime, any scope whatsoever for any next phase of investment, and any further associated expansion, will depend on uptake 2024 onwards for the first batch of 10 EV chargers.
All newly integrated parking portfolio systems are rooted with hospitality ethos, and whilst personalised for Balbirnie in many ways, we have many aspects which we can tweak and flex, and newly design for the future.
It is a little know fact here today in Scotland, but different countries across the world have different
approaches as to how they manage cultural heritage. A quick google search shows
that many countries have proper systems in place which provide government financial support for the
maintenance and safeguarding of historic buildings. In the context of Balbirnie
House being category A listed 1777, and also applicable to all other similar buildings
across the UK, there is zero such financial support from any UK government
structure.
Upon reflection I actually think that it has been a hospitality miracle, in having been able to sustain Balbirnie House maintenance and safeguarding so well and on an ongoing basis, over more than 3 decades for which I have had that direct responsibility. Even with contending with a well documented £1M pandemic closure cost.
On a continuing basis however, we have also recently contended with an absurd tripling of annual gas and energy costs, from £100,000 to £300,000 per year. It is for reasons such as that, plus all ongoing inflation, which means that any revenue raised from EV charging and parking, is going to be of wonderful assistance to helping us do all we can to continue to safeguard, improve and protect Balbirnie as a category A listed national treasure, as well as doing our best to keep the internals and external grounds looking at their very best for future clients.
Time does not stand still. I have had many comments over the years when people have seen our info about weekly costs to open Balbirnie's doors, publishing on our main twitter feed on X. I have updated the weekly figure today!
Every £2 raised from EV charging or parking, is certainly going to make an important contribution to our 2024 weekly operating costs of £102,000 per week!
Take a drive in Scotland, and you'll easily find historic buildings which have very sadly gone to total rack and ruin, because the owners have run out of the financial ability to maintain them.
Our focus remains on doing everything possible to preserve the future of Balbirnie House, and to keep everything looking as minted as possible for all future clients.
All best wishes,
Nicholas
MD Balbirnie House
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