Businesswoman Ann Gloag has welcomed a council decision to allow her multi-million plan to demolish an eyesore Perth hotel.
But the philanthropist has fired a broadside at the local authority, saying she hopes this move paves the way for similar development in the city.
Speaking after the £3.6 million proposal to raze the Waverley Hotel to the ground and replace it with a multi-use hall and gym was approved under delegated powers, she said she hopes this decision “marks the start” of the council recognising the need to allow other derelict sites to be developed in Perth.
“This would ensure the city is not blighted further by the eyesores that currently exist,” she said.
Ms Gloag, who is a member of the adjacent Trinity Church of the Nazarene, described the planning process as “very long and tortuous.”
The Waverley Hotel closed its doors in August 2011, after latterly being used as a homeless refuge.
She wants the new facility to be available for “community use” as well as creating a lunch club for “struggling families and the homeless.”
Ms Gloag said she was “delighted” the council “has recognised the benefits” of the scheme.
She said: “This has been a very long and tortuous process so we are delighted we can finally move forward with regenerating this site as planned. Our focus has always been to provide a development that benefits our great city and the people within it and we can now deliver that for Perth.”
She continued: “Hopefully this decision marks the start of the council recognising the need to allow other derelict sites to be developed in order to ensure the city is not blighted further by the eyesores that currently exist.”
Council planning officer John Russell has issued a report of the handling of the decision to approve the hotel demolition plan for the site at the junction of York Place and Caledonian Road.
In it he says: “A conservation team accept that sufficient analysis has now been made to conclude that demolition of the listed building is justified in terms of economic viability. They note the design of the new development is a significant improvement to the previous proposal.
“I do not consider that the creation of the multi-use hall and gym facility to conflict with the spatial strategy of the local plan as it will not impact adversely on the city centre’s vitality.”
There had been criticism of the design from some quarters but Mr Russell feels it is a “significant improvement” on earlier schemes.
Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust (PKHT) had recently lodged an objection to the plan, claiming the new development will be of “poor quality.” They also suggested it has “taken its inspiration” from adjacent supermarkets. A spokesperson said they didn’t wish to comment on the council decision.
