The Community Asset Transfer of the buildings to Lanark Community Development Trust was unanimously agreed by the Housing and Technical Resources Committee.

The Trust aim to develop the buildings into a community café and rental accommodation with a view to improving site for the community.

It means they can also develop an income stream to sustain the organisations financial needs to meet their stated objectives.

An independent valuation from Chartered Surveyors put the value of the buildings at £0, which means there will be no cost to the Trust to take them over.

Chair of the Housing and Technical Resources Committee, Councillor Davie McLachlan, said: “The vacant properties were declared surplus to requirements by the council back in 2023 – the cost of bringing them back into use was extremely prohibitive.

“I’m delighted that Lanark Community Development Trust will look to utilise them and bring them back into community use and wish them well with this project.

“They have a good track record, having previously successfully leased and fully developed the Castlebank Horticultural Site within the park.

“That site was also in a poor state of repair, but with grant funding they were able to fully modernise these premises and operate them as a base for their activity.

“I am sure they will be similarly successful with this new project.”

Sylvia Russel from Lanark Community Development Trust said: “We are delighted that the council has granted us the community asset transfer of the derelict outbuildings at Castlebank House.

“It has long been our ambition to restore them but it is now that the hard work of finding grant funding starts.

“This will not be easy but the Trust is looking at a variety of different funding possibilities and we will make our plans public in a few months time.”