Developers have unveiled their vision for an old Perthshire primary school which is at the centre of a bitter row.
Crieff-based construction firm Corryard is to display its proposals for the former Hill Primary building at Blairgowire.
The firm was controversially announced as Perth and Kinross Council’s preferred bidder for the redevelopment project earlier this year.
The community-led Ericht Trust had been working on its own plan for the school for several years and had won widespread support.
The group had hoped to convert the prominent building into a multi-million-pound heritage and culture hub, complete with cinema and cafe.
The trust committed about 3,000 hours to the project and raised £60,000. The £4.8million plan had won the backing of, amongst others, SSE and the Architectural Heritage Fund.
Group leaders have been trying to establish why the bid was unsuccessful and recently met with council officials to discuss the situation.
Members were told Corryard’s bid featured a better business plan and the company’s finances were assured.
A spokesman for the trust said: “If all decisions come back to how much money Perth and Kinross Council can make, without regards to the benefits to the community, why should any community group attempt any building project?
“Communities should be told from the start that only money counts.”
He added: “The aspirations of the communities are totally different to that of the council. If real progress is to be made, all should be ‘singing from the same sheet’.”
On Saturday, Corryard will unveil its proposal to transform the 19th-century building into new homes.
Plans, including computer-generated images, will go on show at the vacant Upper Allan Street site from 11am-2pm. Feedback will be used to shape a planning application which will be submitted in the coming weeks.
Corryard managing director John Burke said he hopes to bring the building back its former glory, but converting it into 18 apartments, each with its own garden and two parking spaces.
“We are keen to let locals know what we are proposing and get their feedback and comments on our plans for this well-loved local landmark which, over time, has been neglected and fallen into disrepair,” he said.
“We are of course aware that the Ericht Trust also placed a bid for the building and we’d especially welcome feedback on the plans we have. We are a small bespoke developer who specialises in working with older buildings and bringing them back to life.”
A council spokesman said: “Perth & Kinross Council has previously and continues to invest significantly in towns throughout the area.
“Recent examples of work completed is a £1million public realm improvement project in Kinross and nearly £18m set aside in the capital budget for a new sports facility in Blairgowrie.
“Proposals for the future use of the former school were thoroughly scrutinised by officers and by the relevant committee.
“The decision made was based on a number of factors and one of those is best value, however, there were other factors involved in the decision to name the preferred bidder.
“This has been previously explained to the Ericht Trust and a meeting was held recently between senior officers and the Trust to explore other options.”
