A new group has been set up in the hope of bringing long-running sagas surrounding dilapidated buildings in the centre of Crieff to a resolution.
The Strathearn Defective Buildings Discussion will meet for the first time on Thursday next week at Perth and Kinross Council’s headquarters in the Fair City and look at the situations regarding long-vacant eyesores such as the Drummond Arms Hotel in James Square and what was known as the Strathearn Hotel on the corner of King Street and Commissioner Street.
The group comprises elected Perth and Kinross councillors, local authority officials, community groups working to promote the town’s cause and representatives of partner agencies.
Councillor Roz McCall, who is co-leading the group, said she was keen to speed up proceedings. She added: “The eyesore buildings that are the Drummond Arms and the Strathearn Hotel are very concerning as they are now a danger.
“If you own a building, it should be your responsibility to maintain it. If you’re not prepared to look after it, then you should be selling it to somebody who is.”
The Conservative Strathearn ward member concluded: “I want to see the situation with the Drummond Arms progressed ASAP.
“We are looking to end the never-ending cycle of owner progression at a meeting next Thursday.”
Ailsa Campbell, chair of Crieff Community Trust, said she has been left frustrated with regards to the hold-up on work at the Drummond Arms – and elsewhere in the town. She said: “It’s been a long process and we’re hoping to progress things in the next couple of months.
“The Community Enterprise survey concluded that the best use of the site is to install a mix of affordable housing and accommodation, and once we have unlocked the ownership issue, we’ll be able to start work.
“An initial thought was to convert the hotel into a community centre, however our consultants’ analysis showed that there were better uses for the space.
“We have a Community Right to Buy for the hotel which gives us ‘first dibs’ on the property at market value, and while it’s only valued at £30,000, it is too much of a liability to purchase just now for a team of volunteers given its condition.
“We’ve got backing from John Swinney MSP, Luke Graham MP and the council. In order to win the Right to Buy, we needed 10% approval in a community survey over the future of the site, and we got over 22.5%, as well as backing in Comrie and Muthill.”
Mrs Campbell added: “The Strathearn Hotel on the corner of King Street and Commissioner Street is in a comparable condition.”
Meanwhile, Hill Street resident Craig Pagett recently wrote to the local authority expressing concerns over other issues spawning from the deteriorating state of the Drummond Arms. He said: “There is a problem with rubbish, debris and more alarmingly vermin in the rear car park. As recently as two weeks ago I’ve witnessed rats running towards the town square.”
