A former Perth and Kinross Council planning director and City Hall champion is calling for a new national architectural heritage watchdog to lay down a marker.
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) takes over from Historic Scotland at the start of October and one of its first decisions could be on the future of Perth City Hall.
Denis Munro insists the body’s handling of the building earmarked for demolition by the local authority will be “a telling case for the new organisation.”
In a letter to Leigh Johnston, heritage team leader with Historic Scotland, he said: “This is being seen as a crucial test of the will to retain a building which was described by David Walker, your former chief inspector, as ‘the most important public building of its era outside Edinburgh.’
“It is hard to imagine how HES could, as one of its first acts, permit demolition in this case and subsequently be protective of B-listed buildings elsewhere in Scotland.”
Mr Munro insists the City Hall is only standing because of Historic Scotland’s previous refusal to grant the council permission to demolish it and create a civic square.
He also maintained that three council attempts to find an alternative use for the building were “undertaken improperly”, having failed to offer it for sale as well as lease.
Mr Munro said this meant the B-listed building had not been “marketed at a price reflecting its location and condition to potential restoring purchasers for a reasonable period.”
“The council has now marketed the building three times and in none of these exercises has an opportunity to buy been permitted,” said Mr Munro.
He rejected the proposition that a long lease is as good as a sale from a developer’s perspective.
“A lease is less attractive because it provides less security to prospective lenders, investment in the property and successful operation of the new use will result in rental where the landlord (the council) has shown a determination to demolish the building for more than six years,” he said.
“Prospective lessees will be deterred by a fear that revisions to the lease could be obstructed by a hostile owner.”
Mr Munro was also critical of the council’s decision to defer their decision on proposals to either convert it into a hotel or a food market.
“Their reason for doing so was that they had ‘reservations’ about the proposals they wanted their officers to report their concerns to you over the summer months,” he said.
The council declined to comment on Mr Munro’s observations.