Public get say on future of Perth City Hall

Dec 11 2009 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

THE Perth and Kinross public will have their say on the future of troubled Perth City Hall.

With Wharfside’s £20 million plans to create a speciality shopping complex in the heart of the city foundering as the recession bites hard, the future of the abandoned B-listed building is back in the melting pot.

And yesterday council leader Ian Miller assured the Perth and Kinross public they would have their say on what happens next.

Specialist consultants have mapped out a range of options for an empty building which has become mired in controversy after being replaced by the award-winning Perth Concert Hall.

And after a wide-ranging assessment by independent commercial property consultants, the pendulum seems to be swinging towards demolition, or at least partial demolition.

On the eve of the eagerly awaited Perth 800 celebrations and a determined push for potentially lucrative city status, Councillor Miller stressed: “We must look to the future. It’s not about what has happened in the past with the City Hall issue.

“This matter is being given priority status and communities throughout Perth and Kinross will help decide the future of Perth City Hall if recommendations for a comprehensive consultation and engagement activities are given approval on December 16 at a full meeting of the council.”

Councillor Miller stressed the council had been active behind the scenes since councillors sounded the death knell for the long-delayed Wharfside project.

Interest has been expressed by Linacre Land, Heritage Solutions, Whiteburn Projects and Henry Boot but Wharfside are out of the equation

Locum Consulting assessed various potential options based on three threads: demolition, partial demolition or re-use of the building. They feel there are “limited options” for retention or conversion.

“The outcome will be crucial to the future of Perth,” acknowledged Councillor Miller. “We are eager to find a solution. This has been going on long enough. It stretches back to the previous administration and it has been very frustrating for us all to see it dragging on.

“There were high expectation of the previous project, after going through a process of public consultation. Wharfside were given every opportunity to progress their scheme and make it work. But the change in the financial climate was detrimental to their cause. It was disappointing all-round that there turned out to be no market for their original proposal.”

While stressing there wouldn’t be a referendum on the City Hall, consultations being rolled out in January will encompass online questionnaires, focus groups and events to sound-out a cross-section of the community, with youngsters having a crucial role as Perth looks to the future.

The council has to assess if there is sufficient demand for specialist retail units; whether existing shops would be better served by demolition; and whether a public space would bring economic spin-off benefits and enhance St John’s Kirk, the city’s most cherished building.

Further views could still be sought to determine a viable use for the property but the council also has to scrutinise the potential financial support needed for any retail or cultural use and take market conditions into account when making a decision.

Councillor Miller noted that the local authority had consulted previously but the public would be given a fresh opportunity to make known their views.

“We have to make sure the option progressed is right for Perth’s centre and surrounding areas and it is the right option for a very different financial market we now find ourselves in.

“We want one that will provide a long-term, viably legacy for our young people in years to come. This next phase will take us closer to securing the right future for Perth City Hall.” l See also Page 3.