Campaigners seeking a reprieve for Perth City Hall gathered almost 1,000 signatures against its demolition in just four hours at the weekend.
Members of the Perth City Market Trust were out in force at Saturday’s farmers’ market urging locals to object to the council’s bid to seek listed building consent to tear down the Edwardian building.
Organiser Margaretha Linacre said the day had been a success but she was “not going to let the issue lie” and planned to recruit a further 3,000 objectors through the campaign’s Facebook page.
She said: “We got 975 signatures yesterday, which is fantastically encouraging. If there had been double the number of us (asking for signatures) we would have got double that amount, but that is a fantastic figure for just four hours.
“People were queuing up, people were coming up to us and saying we want to sign. I had three people saying ‘knock it down’ only three out of all those people that I spoke to. The rest said they can’t possibly knock that beautiful building down.
“And it’s not stopping here, we’re keeping our effort going.
“Today I am circulating a copy of the letter to the members of our Facebook page asking them to print off 10 each, get them signed and send them back,” she said.
“We have over 300 members and if everybody cooperates we will get 3,000 letters back. The fight is ongoing.”
On cut-off date Margaretha plans to march into the council buildings and deposit the stack of signed letters on the desk of the planning director.
She said: “The director of planning has to reply to every single address on those letters he’s legally obliged to reply.
“Historic Scotland has to be informed and they will inform Fiona Hyslop (Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs) about how many objections there are and after that Fiona Hyslop will make a decision.”
Perth City Market Trust still hopes to save the Edwardian building by converting it into an up-market food hall and is currently attempting to persuade the council of its financial backing.
If successful it’s thought it will be the first of its type in Scotland, though similar halls exist in England such as the Grainger Market in Newcastle.
The group say a number of traders, including butchers and artisan chocolatiers have expressed an interest in setting up in an indoor food hall.
A second plan, put forward by The Seventy Group, is bidding to secure the lease of the building from the council to convert it into a five star hotel.
The developer has, at the eleventh hour, brought forward plans for 32 bedroom suites, a fine dining restaurant, rooftop terrace bar and eatery.
Perth and Kinross Council is in talks with both parties, but is nonetheless moving ahead with plans to raze the hall to make way for a civic square.
Councillors unanimously decided that was the way forward after rejecting the trust’s bid in January on the grounds that it was “unfeasible”.
They have, however to convince Historic Scotland that there is no alternative to demolition before that can go ahead.
Opponents have until March 14 to register their opposition by submitting a letter of objection to Perth and Kinross Council.
Copies of the letter can be requested by emailing margarethalinacre@yahoo.com.