A 113-year-old hotel which closed eight years ago is to be turned into flats and assisted living.

Barnton Hotel in Edinburgh became derelict after closing in 2004 and the listed building has since been added to the buildings at risk register.

On Wednesday, the City of Edinburgh Council’s planning committee approved plans to turn the site into assisted living and residential flats.

The hotel, built in 1895, will be restored and an extra wing will be built alongside.

The old hotel will house nine residential apartments for sale on the open market. The new building will provide housing for older people with care and support needs.

A further 73 assisted living homes will be built will access to communal facilities and personal care.

Steve Wiseman, managing director of McCarthy Stone Lifestyles, the company behind the plans, welcomed the council’s decision.

He said: “We’re excited to be able to bring Assisted Living to Edinburgh. This type of housing allows older people to retain the independence of owning their homes while having the peace of mind that extra help or care can be accessed when they need it. In our experience, it can often delay the need for people to seek more permanent residential nursing care.

“This has been a major planning project and we’re grateful to the local community who have supported and assisted us in the development of our proposal. The Barnton Hotel holds a special place in the hearts of many people and we are keen to ensure it is sensitively refurbished while rejuvenating the site and enhancing the surrounding area.”

Work will start with preserving the hotel building followed by the development of the other buildings.

The project is expected to finish in late 2014.