Up to 30 affordable homes could be built on the site of the former Crieff Primary School.
The building, in Commissioner Street, has lain empty for a decade.
Pupils and staff vacated it when the current school opened on the edge of the town in 2015.
And a second attempt to sell it ended without a buyer last year.
The former school has become a magnet for vandals.
There were reports of windows being smashed this week.
And two teenagers were charged following a fire there in 2019.
But Perth and Kinross Council has now confirmed it’s looking to build housing on the site.
It’s not yet clear what the plans will mean for the old primary school building, which is part of Crieff’s conservation area.
Land sale will open up former Crieff Primary School site for development
The proposal emerged at a recent council meeting.
Stephen Crawford, head of property services, said the council is pursuing a £125,000 deal to purchase an area of land beside the school.
This will give it ownership of the entire site, opening it up for development.
A number of options are being considered.
“The site has a total capacity for 20 to 30 units,” Mr Crawford told the finance committee.
He said the exact number would be “a question of using the existing building, or not using the existing building”.
And he said the site could also be used for private housing if the council decides it doesn’t want it for affordable homes.
Primary school future ‘of immense importance to Crieff’
Strathearn councillor Stewart Donaldson is convener of the finance and resources committee.
He told colleagues the fate of the old primary school is “of immense importance for Crieff”.
Speaking to The Courier afterwards, Mr Donaldson said there are still a number of issues to be ironed out.
“Council officers have been looking at this for some time,” he said.
“The key will be purchasing this piece of land. Only then will we be in a situation where the site can be developed.”
Housebuilding already under way in Crieff
Crieff is undergoing a rapid expansion at the moment.
Persimmon Homes is building more than 200 new properties in the latest phase of development off Broich Road.
Around 50 of those will be affordable.
Hundreds of homes have already been built at Drover’s Gate, across the road from the current Crieff Primary School.
Perth and Kinross Council is also planning affordable housing on the site of the Drummond Arms Hotel after the town centre landmark is demolished.
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