A joint venture company between National Pride UK Community Interest Company and IntroCrowd, The Barony Eco-Therapy Wellness Park will occupy 108.8 acres should it be consented.

The Barony will be a non-exclusive health and wellness destination, providing active health and mental relaxation facilities. This will comprise spa, exercise, craft activities and amenities including a mining heritage museum, as well as overnight accommodation in a parkland environment allowing guests to be close to the natural world. The project also will include a path for the public to enjoy a walk along the Lugar Water and include refreshment areas showcasing healthy dining experiences.

A web-based community consultation event will take place on August 19 between 2pm and 7pm, where further details will be provided following an initial consultation event held on June 23.

The joint venture, which has a core ethos to create ecologically sustainable and ethical developments, completed the purchase of the site as The Barony NP (UK) Limited from Hargreaves Land in July 2020 and is endeavouring to create a beautiful and restful place for all to enjoy.

Consultants will be available during those hours to answer any questions and receive feedback through a two-way chat system.

Feedback can also be submitted via the website and information will be made available in paper format if requested. 

Those who cannot access the exhibition boards on the day of the event can contact Orbit Communications at hello@baronywellness.com; telephone: 0131 202 3259 or at 4 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1JE and these can be provided.

Education and training opportunities, especially for vulnerable adults, will be a priority and the project will create significant local employment and also prioritise support for local businesses and jobs in the supply chain.

Natural woodland at the location will be sensitively recrafted to enable visitors to develop mental and physical strengths and personal resilience, as well as being a restfulness centre for sufferers of life-changing illnesses and conditions.

All that remains of the Barony Colliery is a huge pit-heading winding gear frame, the Barony A-Frame, testament to the industrial heritage of the site.

Barony NP (UK) Limited will support The Barony A-Frame Trust in the rehabilitation of the ‘Memorial Garden’ dedicated to those miners who tragically lost their lives in the coal mine from 1908-1969. The rehabilitation and enhancement of the Garden will be a place of tribute and remembrance for the local community and a permanent reminder of the area’s mining heritage.

A proportion of the profits from the development will be reinvested back into community wellbeing projects and support NHS student training.

Volunteering opportunities will also be offered for those of all ages and abilities in a welcoming and safe environment. With the proximity of the new Barony Campus, students and visitors will also be able to appreciate the natural environment and advances in carbon zero plus renewable energy technologies.

Should things go according to plan it is anticipated that, planning permission permitting, construction could start on site in quarter three 2022 with it completing at the end of 2024.

Irene Bisset, chair of National Pride, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming the public to this, our second consultation event, allowing us to provide an update on our exciting development proposals for The Barony Eco-Therapy and Wellness Park.

“At The Barony we are committed to create a destination that will provide significant community benefits to the area. Visitors can expect a safe, restful and enlivening environment in which to relax, rejuvenate and be healthy in mind and body, developing their mental and physical strength and personal resilience.

“The support we have received to date for our proposals has been amazing and we look forward to have the local community not only view, but also continue to shape our scheme, both at this forthcoming digital consultation event and as our development progresses.”