Dilapidated Kinross Town Hall could finally be put to use after an ambitious scheme was placed before council planners.
A decade after being made surplus to requirements by Perth and Kinross Council, the future of the B-listed town centre building is becoming clearer.
Under the name Town Hall Developments, Dunfermline builder Simon Wilson has applied for permission to carry out essential maintenance and future conversion for shop or office use.
The firm agreed to buy the hall in 2010 for around £200,000 after a lengthy legal battle over whom the fee should be paid to.
As well as the plans for the hall, the scheme includes provision for a new block of nine retirement flats adjacent to it. The cash from these would fund the hall renovation.
A statement by consultants TMS Planning and Development Services states the hall is rapidly deteriorating after a decade of neglect.
It states: ”The town hall has been vacant for an extended period and has internally fallen into disrepair largely as a result of water ingress, and lack of heating and regular maintenance.
”Both external and extensive internal works are required before the building could be brought back into use. Limited works carried out by the present owners, Perth and Kinross Council, has stemmed this condition decline but has failed to fully secure the building in a wind and watertight condition.
”Areas of standing water remain visible in parts of the interior. The building is urgently requiring major works in order to retain it for future generations and to facilitate its full and productive use at the heart of the community.”
The firm intends to demolish the hall’s relatively recent extension, calling it ”unsightly”, and build nine one-bedroom apartments on next door.
The statement said: ”There are clearly links between the individual proposals as the new development will act as the trigger for the repair and upgrading of the listed buildings and a section of the parking area for the apartments will be positioned on the area of the demolished extension.”
Future use of the town hall itself whether shops, offices or a restaurant will be determined by the firm after planning permission is received, it says.
The consultants said: ”At this stage in the re-use process there are a number of options being looked at, each of which are established town centre uses.
”No internal alterations to the building are proposed at this stage and, where required, these would be the subject of further proposals/applications at the relevant point.”
As well as the town hall built on the site of the former Kinross Parish Church the buildings include the former library and post office and the scheduled ancient monument clock tower.
The council put the building on the market in 2002 when the Loch Leven community campus plans were drawn up.
With the site historically gifted to the people of Kinross, the council was taken to court over its right to sell and was eventually ordered to hand any profits from the sale to Kinross Common Good Fund.
The decision to sell to Mr Wilson caused a further row when local councillor Mike Barnacle said it should have been considered by the common good fund instead of the full council.