Campaign to save gift to Kinross people is over

May 9 2008 by Jenny Wood

THE FIGHT to prevent an important historic Kinross landmark being sold off has ended in defeat for the local community.

When Perth and Kinross Council put the crumbling town hall and library on the market six years ago locals who were concerned Kinross’s central landmark would be lost forever put together a bold bid to buy the mothballed buildings.

Their battle led to years of legal wrangling but now Kinross Community Council has withdrawn from the fight and the sell-off of the prominent public buildings, deemed “surplus to requirements” by the local authority, looks set to go full steam ahead.

A spokesman for Perth and Kinross Council confirmed: “The Council is currently preparing to put this property back on the market. We are in the process of appointing an agent for the sale.”

Dave Cuthbert, chairman of Kinross Community Council, explained why the local group gave way to the local authority.

“We couldn’t guarantee we would win,” he said.

As proceedings drew out, the buildings fell into disrepair. Also muddying the waters was the sign-off of Kinross’s new community campus which is planned to have hall facilities which locals can use.

Fearful the community group could face crippling legal bills and forced to pay Perth and Kinross Council’s expenses, the local campaigners withdrew from the court fight.

“But effectively Kinross Community Council felt, and still feels, that the town hall and library belong to the people of Kinross,” stressed Dave.

“I’m not sure that we are going to give up on it. But we took it as far as we could in court,” he conceded.

And paying tribute to campaign backers Dave Cuthbert added: “There was a huge effort put in by people who, unpaid, gave up a lot of their own time.”

Central to the community council’s court fight were questions raised over the local authority’s right to sell buildings which had been “gifted” to the people of Kinross.

Campaigners pointed out the library was built in 1905 following an £1800 donation by the industrialist - and major philanthropist - Andrew Carnegie, on land bought by the town and parish councils.

And the hall, built by Kinross Market Company in 1841, was gifted to the burgh in memory of those who served in the second world war.

But Kinross library closed in 2001 and the town hall in January 2002 - a month later the council decided to cash in on the buildings by selling them off.

In 2003 an offer of £185,000 was accepted from developer Wilson Homes Ltd.

Initially Perth and Kinross Council had planned to give around just one third of the proceeds to Kinross Common Good Fund. But following the lengthy legal wrangling the local community are hoping for more money.

The council said: “The net receipt of the sale will be paid into the Kinross Common Good Fund: the total received for the sale minus some expenses and repair costs.”