THE CONVERSION of a Perth landmark into a hotel will retain the best features of the building, the developer has promised.
Following the announcement that the old Pullar Building on Mill Street had been purchased from the council and would be turned into a Premier Inn hotel and restaurant, the planning application has now been lodged.
It details how the former dye works will be sympathetically converted into an 83- bedroom hotel in a £5 million project which will create 40 full-time jobs.
Dominating Mill Street, which is parallel to the pedestrianised section of the High Street, the building dates to 1865 and is part of the former Pullar’s complex, which was next to the town lade.
Stretching between the Kinnoull Street multi-storey car park and the concert hall, the building has lain empty since the Department of Work and Pensions shut in 2005.
Outlining the consultation process with the council’s planning department and the approach they will take, the developer, Deanway Muir Ltd, said: “There has been a focus on achieving a ‘light touch’ on the existing building and the creation of an active frontage on to Mill Street and the concert hall square, in addition to ensuring that the refurbishment of the 1930s extensions to the east of the site is sympathetic to, and sits comfortably with, the neighbouring concert hall.
“The development will be held primarily within the shell of the existing late 19th century mill building and the 1930s extension.
“Given the historic nature of the site and the architectural significance of the building in the context of Perth’s industrial past, the design team’s brief was to approach the conversion of the building lightly.
“The impact on the external appearance of the property will be minimal.
“The existing timber windows on the Mill Street faade will be retained and refurbished with secondary glazing to the inside, whilst the existing Crittal windows to the upper floors of the 1930s extension will be replaced with aluminium heritage windows to match as closely as possible.
“The stone and brick finishes, which make up the primary south, east and west facing elevations, will be retained and refurbished.
“This will preserve the existing streetscape and ensure that the integrity of the original mill buildings, which form the north side of Mill Street, is retained.
“This approach also ensures that the building will continue to sit comfortably with Pullar House, which has already been refurbished and displays similar design characteristics on the Mill Street elevation.
“The existing front entrance will be retained at the centre of the building, with full-height, glazed, automatic doors set back from the pavement line opening on to a reception area. The existing stair will be retained, with new lifts behind.”
Access to the rear of the building will be through a car park for 34 vehicles and the boundary wall and fence on the concert hall and Curfew Row boundaries will be retained.
“In terms of direct economic impact, the hotel, restaurant and retail/commercial unit will provide employment opportunities for a wide range of individuals at various skill levels,” said the development statement.
“In addition to employment opportunities that will be generated, wider economic benefits will also be derived from the additional expenditure that the hotel will bring to Perth and the wider area.
“The relationship between the development and its neighbours, in particular the concert hall and Pullar House, will result in a concentration of complementary uses which will support each other and enhance Perth city centre’s offering,” the development statement went on.
“The proposed redevelopment offers the opportunity, within the context of difficult economic circumstances for the development industry, for the sympathetic conversion of a vacant building which is located in a prominent position within an important conservation area.”
rburdge@thecourier.co.uk