Plans submitted to turn nursery into spa for luxury Crossbasket Castle hotel in Blantyre

Proposals were lodged in October to transform Crossbasket Nursery into a spa for the nearby Crossbasket Hotel.

The application proposes converting the nursery into a high-end wellness facility featuring six treatment rooms, changing areas, wet and dry experience zones and a waiting area.

The project would also include landscape changes, with a new access path linking to existing footpaths.

The proposal will now be advertised and neighbourhood and statutory consultation will take place, with a decision expected by January 10, 2026.

Crossbasket Nursery School in the grounds of Crossbasket Castle estate in Blantyre was closed on 1 October with parents of around 110 children affected. Around 30 staff lost their jobs.

Crossbasket Castle said in a statement before the nursery closed: “Due to serious health concerns, the owner of Crossbasket Nursery has been forced to step back from her role and, as a result, the nursery has entered into a consultation period on potential closure.

“We understand how potentially disruptive this could be for children, parents and staff and have undertaken to ensure that the nursery will remain open until at least October, to allow parents to make alternative arrangements.”

The Crossbasket estate is owned by husband and wife Steve and Alison Timoney, who bought the A-listed derelict property in 2011 and restoring it as a luxury hotel and wedding venue. Creating a nursery formed part of the original planning consent for redevelopment plans.

Clare Haughey, the Rutherglen MSP, said at the time of the nursery closure: “The owner has said that the decision is for ‘personal reasons’ but that does not alleviate the deep anxiety and stress that parents and nursery staff have experienced, especially when it looked like the closure was imminent and little information was available. Crossbasket Nursery have advised me that they feel it is ‘not appropriate’ for an outside provider to take over the nursery, and that they are not seeking one themselves.”

Collette Stevenson, the East Kilbride MSP, said: “The closure of Crossbasket nursery has left families shocked, anxious and scrambling for solutions. I’ve heard from many local parents who are rightly devastated and worried about the impact this will have on their children and their ability to work.

A spokesperson for Crossbasket Castle told The Times: “Development of the eco lodges and spa had already commenced alongside the River Calder, adjacent to the new hotel. Following the closure and handover of the former nursery building, a review of the estate layout was undertaken to ensure the best use of available space. As part of this, the spa is now planned for the estate’s entrance, allowing the existing building to be repurposed.”