52 per cent of business want Perth City Halls demolished

Sep 8 2009 by Katy Gordon, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

THE majority of Perth business owners have voted to knock down the City Hall.

Chamber of Commerce members took part in a two day online poll to gauge opinion on the future of the listed building.

And 52% of those who voted opted for demolition for various purposes, including the creation of public space, new purpose built retail facilities and a purpose built public facility.

Chief Executive of the Chamber, Vicki Unite, commented: “The fantastic response to our online poll demonstrates the strength of feeling amongst our members and the importance of the City Hall’s situation on the local business community.

“This is the first time we’ve generated a poll of this type and our members’ reaction has been extremely positive.

“It is invaluable for us to gain our members’ views in order to effectively represent them and we are extremely grateful for their swift responses.”

However, while only two per cent thought the building should be retained in its current form, a further 33% wanted to see the building fully retained and redeveloped for future use.

Ms Unite added that although a fairly high percentage (12%) wanted retail space, many voters expanded on this to state that they wanted larger retail units which is what Perth appears to lack and not more smaller ones as there are plenty of them currently sitting empty.

Chamber president Paul Shields said the poll made “very interesting reading” and stressed that the Chamber would continue to press for speedy action on the contentious issue.

He continued: “The chamber has always maintained that no action is not an option.”

“A sleeping giant in the centre of the city is of no use to anyone and the business poll has endorsed the need to move forward – and swiftly.

“Whether the City Hall remains or goes – we need to see decisions taken and actions pursued to inject life back into the heart of the city.”

Other possible uses for the space included a Princes Street Gardens-type open space for markets or festivals, a new Tourist Information Centre or a conference centre.