Former Motherwell hotel could help the homeless

Plans have been revealed to convert the Old Mill Hotel into a training centre for individuals “anxious to rebuild their lives”.

The listed building in Mill Road closed its doors recently and has been bought by Betel UK, a registered charity which is part of a worldwide organisation, Betel International.

Betel aims to “offer hope and hospitality free of charge to those people in society who can easily find themselves in despair, anxious to rebuild their lives but lacking in the resources to achieve this”.

It is “dedicated to restoring homeless, addicted and long-term unemployed people to healthy, independent lifestyles”.

Betel says it works with Government bodies, private charities and Christian organisations providing similar services. It trains men and women in a “wide range of life and employment skills”.

Smoking, drinking alcohol and taking drugs are all banned in its residential centres where round the clock supervision is provided.

An application to convert the Old Mill Hotel has been lodged with North Lanarkshire Council.

A statement from consultants Muir Smith Evans on behalf of Betel said the hotel’s eight en-suite bedrooms could accommodate 18-20 residents.

The building dates back to around 1880 and was originally an operating grain mill on the banks of the South Calder Water.

The statement added: “The Old Mill is ideal for the proposed use in terms of scale, accommodation and location on the edge of, but outside, the urban area.”

Betel’s planning application is likely to go before councillors later this year.