A HOTEL and drive-through coffee shop are among proposals for a prime Greenock site which has been snapped up by a developer, the Tele can reveal.

Ayr-based Crucible Alba Group has announced the acquisition of vacant land off Cartsdyke Avenue, next to the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) Mortgage Centre.

Company chiefs say they are ‘delighted’ to have secured the prominent site — and are wasting no time in pressing ahead with plans to develop it.

Bosses say they have already had interest from two potential tenants, as well as a hotel operator and coffee shop chains.

Brian Robinson, development director, told the Tele: “We bought the site from RBS, who owned it and had done for a number of years.

“We’re in discussion with two occupiers and a hotelier in relation to the site but obviously it’s early days with planning etc.

“We’ve also had a couple of interests from the coffee drive-through market and office occupiers.

“It’s a great spot and we’re delighted to acquire it.”

The company bought the 2.1 acre area, off the busy Cartsdyke Roundabout, just over a week ago and are keen to get started with development work as soon as possible.

A formal planning application is expected to be lodged ‘within the next three months’.

Mr Robinson said: “We don’t like to buy sites and sit on them for any length of time. Our plan is to get a planning application in as soon as we can.

“It’s really the planning side of things we are looking to address to see what’s most likely [for the site] but with everything we hope common sense prevails in brining an empty piece of land back into use.

“It’s a prominent site and the sooner we can get something done with it the better.”

Crucible Alba Group have worked on projects with a host of big-name retailers such as Tesco, Greggs, Premier Inn, Marks & Spencer and the Co-op.

In February, the firm won a Scottish SME Award for the ‘fastest growing small business’ in the country’.