Barony WellnessThe people behind plans for a £60 million “eco-therapy wellness park” say they are still hopeful for a project despite putting the company into voluntary administration.
Barony NP (UK) Ltd, a partnership between social enterprise company National Pride UK (NPUK) and investment company ESE Capital, promised hundred of jobs at the centre.
But it went into administration in December 2024.
Barony NPThe project was hailed as Europe’s first nature-based wellbeing resort, complete with lodges and spa facilities.
Both Andy Whitlock and Irene Bisset of NPUK resigned their directorships of Barony NP.
A progress report by the administrators stated that the sole remaining director, ESE Capital founder Greg Baker, had told administrators that there was a potential bid being prepared to buy the land for £12m, land that was bought for just £300,000 in 2020.
They also pointed out that this in itself was an “inflated figure” as they faced competition for the land which had been valued at £220,000.
The plans for the eco-park were initially refused by East Ayrshire Council’s planning committee in February 2023.
A revised application was submitted and passed by the committee in January 2024.
According to the administrators’ report, National Pride directors Irene Bisset and Andy Whitlock had estimated it would cost between £3m and £4m to undertake detailed planning work.
However, in discussions with Greg Baker, from ESE, they “became aware that there were insufficient funds available to proceed with the next stage of the project”.
They reportedly sought to find answers about the company’s finances from Mr Baker and ESE Capital, but told the administrator that, over the course of ten months they “did not believe their concerns were addressed to a satisfactory standard”.
Mr Whitlock told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that there had been “numerous” discussions with Mr Baker, whose company was tasked with securing investment for the project.
No agreement having been reached, the two NPUK directors voted in favour of the appointment of an Administrator “for the protection of the project, the Company and the Shareholders”.
Greg Baker objected to the administration process being initiated.
It is understood that ESE had raised around £7m, above the £3-4m that the NPUK directors felt would be sufficient to fund the remaining costs of seeking full planning permission.
It is understood that the NPUK directors would have given “serious consideration” to the sale as mooted by Mr Baker, had they deemed it was a credible bid and would allow them to repay shareholders and work with a new investor.
However, nothing has ever materialised from this source.
The administrators’ report echoes that position.
In their most recent progress report, the administrators said that the lack of any substance behind the £12m bid had lead them to recommend putting the land on the market in a bid to repay as many of the company’s creditors as possible.
Mr Whitlock and Ms Bisset were restricted to what they could talk about while Barony NP was in administration.
However, they remain adamant that the money already raised was sufficient to take the work forward and secure full planning permission.
Concerns centred around the view that attempts to raise even more capital would could dilute the returns to shareholders.
Given the impasse, the NPUK directors say they “reluctantly” took action and sought a replacement investor who could release the current shareholders and progress the project.
Mr Whitlock said that the Barony project remained “very special” to them and that they remain determined to keep the project alive with a replacement investor and ‘one that is aligned with the ethos, ethics and values of NPUK.”
They also admitted that the administration process was “difficult and will take time” but remained confident that the project could emerge with new investors this year.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service attempted to contact Mr Baker and ESE Capital, but found that email addresses for the company no longer worked.
The problems facing the ambitious project are a far cry from the “vision” launched in 2021, when the “Wellness Park” came with the promise of a jobs boost and eco-theme matching local priorities.
Even then there were a number of very vocal objections, particularly among those who have serious concerns around wildlife and biodiversity that have sprung up at the former colliery site.
Designs unveiled in 2021 promised 344 eco-lodges, a spa and activity centre, a mining heritage museum, and new habitats to boost biodiversity.
National Pride chair Irene Bisset called the project “an incredible opportunity not only for East Ayrshire, but for Scotland”, pledging up to 400 jobs and profits reinvested in community health projects.
The scheme would retain the iconic Barony A-Frame, transforming the site of a colliery that closed in 1989, into a “showcase for wellness tourism and renewable energy”.
When the first application was lodged in 2021, it quickly ran into opposition. By early 2022, around 50 objections had been lodged, citing missing environmental studies and fears that habitats for rare species would be destroyed.
An Ochiltree ecologist described the surveys as “astounding” in their omissions, while the Scottish Wildlife Trust and Buglife Scotland said the brownfield site had become a biodiversity hotspot.
Despite this, the project attracted strong local backing. Auchinleck Community Development Initiative (ACDI) and the local community council formally supported it.
The first proposal was narrowly refused in February 2023, after a tied vote saw Provost Jim Todd use his casting vote against it.
Barony NP returned with a scaled-back application later that year, this time promising a full Environmental Impact Assessment and clearer details. In January 2024 councillors granted planning permission in principle, attaching strict conditions to protect wildlife and ensure the A-Frame heritage site was preserved.
However, the good news for the project was tempered by the problematic finances.
While the companies are in crisis, the site retains its planning permission in principle and could potentially be revived if a purchaser for the land sees the project as viable.
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