Perth’s first and only city architect has appeal to his former employers to save Perth City Hall from demolition.
In a letter to Perth and Kinross Council, Historic Scotland and the Prince’s Trust and obtained by The Courier David Cockburn states the case for the building he once cared for.
Mr Coburn was the first and last architect for Perth over 11 years, from 1964 until 1975, and was responsible for maintaining the city hall throughout that period.
He believes that the plans put forward by the Perth City Market Trust have great merit and is urging all parties to retain the Edwardian hall as a listed building.
Councillors rejected the bid to turn the hall into a modern market hall and restaurant earlier this month, and signalled their intention to once again ask Historic Scotland for permission to end its life.
The council’s development management committee will meet in March to rubber stamp their bid to set aside the hall’s listed status and the Government agency could then decide its fate within 28 days.
Opponents are determined to continue campaigning for its retention and, should Historic Scotland reject the demolition bid a second time, force the council into a rethink.
In his letter, Mr Cockburn questions why Perth City Hall has been allowed to sit empty for so long, when it could have remained in use over the past eight years.
“Perth City Hall over the years was well used and so popular in fact that it had to be booked up to two years in advance,” he writes.
“This remained the situation while the new Concert Hall was being built, but even before it was finished the then council refused to take any more bookings.
“With the early appointment of the person in charge of the new Concert Hall, Jane Spiers (who left in September 2012 to become chief executive at Aberdeen Performing Arts), I had a meeting with her, taking along a photocopy of all the bookings of Perth City Hall for the previous two years.
“We went over it together to see how many bookings were appropriate to be accommodated in the new Concert Hall. The result was only 20%.”
Mr Cockburn described as “false” claims by some champions of demolition that the building is “derelict”, stressing the work done to preserve it over the years.
“Every year the whole exterior of the hall was inspected and any necessary work was carried out by local tradesmen,” he said.
Mr Cockburn said extensive and costly refurbishment of all parts had taken place, from seating to kitchen, bars, toilets, lighting and dressing rooms.