The owners of a dilapidated Perth church have been ordered to make it safe or face the consequences.
St Paul’s church has fallen into decay since closing in 1986 and in September Perth and Kinross Council erected security fencing to keep people at a safe distance from the crumbling building after Arengate Ltd failed to take action.
The company has now been given a deadline to carry out urgent works or the council will once again take matters into their own hands.
An enforcement order issued by the council includes a number of conditions, including that the resident feral pigeons must be culled and their droppings, nests and any carcasses removed.
Additionally the building, which has been dubbed an “eyesore”, is to be made wind and waterproof, and any loose stonework secured.
If the owners have been given until June 1 to start work or the council will do it for them and send them the bill.
The move has been welcomed by local councillor Peter Barrett.
He said: “It great news that the council has finally set a deadline for action and implementing repairs to St Paul’s church.
“If anything it’s a case of better late than never – we should have done this months ago. Arengate have had several months to carry out works from the notice which was issued last November. I think it’s appalling that it’s been left to go on for so long.
“Hopefully this is a signal that the council is going to deal seriously with derelict buildings in our city centre.”
A spokeswoman for Perth and Kinross Council said: “The owners of St Paul’s Church in Perth have been served an urgent works notice by the council.
“The document gives the building’s owners, Arengate Ltd, notice that if they fail to take action and complete the urgent works required on the building by June 1 2016, the council will step in and carry out emergency works to prevent further deterioration of the building.
“Once completed, the council will seek to recover the costs incurred to carry out the necessary works which include decontaminating the former church as well as making it safe, secure, wind and watertight.
“However, if Arengate Ltd undertake these works in the interim, it will not be necessary for the council to intervene at a significant cost to the public purse.”
She added: “Following an inspection of St Paul’s Church by structural engineers, a draft schedule of works was sent to Arengate Ltd in November 2015.
“However, despite assurances from the owners that the works would commence imminently, no repair work has been carried out to date.
“The total cost of the required works is in the order of £400,000 excluding VAT and, therefore, the serving of the notice is a last resort to help preserve the building which has become a serious blight on the appearance of Perth City Centre.”
Arengate Ltd declined to comment when contacted by The Courier.