Campaigners fighting to give new life to Perth City Hall believe their efforts will prove the public’s abiding love for the building.
They will descend upon Perth and Kinross Council’s planning department on Thursday to submit more than 1,500 letters objecting to the hall’s demolition.
The campaigners hope that the level of opposition supplemented by hundreds more objections send independently will convince councillors to stay their hand.
The council has signalled its intention to apply to Historic Scotland for listed building consent that would allow it to raze the hall.
In its place, it would create a civic square capable of attracting and hosting a varied annual programme of events. Elected members believe the square would bring new life to the city centre but opponents fear it will do exactly the opposite.
The Perth City Market Trust (PCMT) hopes to save the building and create an up-market food hall and eateries and is determined to make the case for its retention in the strongest possible terms.
A second bid would see the hall reimagined as a five star hotel.
Both bids have been attacked as mere stalling tactics by those who back the demolition plan, including one businessman who recently described their authors as “a very small number of people wasting our time and money”.
He claimed there was “widespread public support” for demolition but the PCMT’s Vivian Linacre hopes the letters of objection will give the lie to that.
“My wife Margaretha and a few helpers quickly collected almost 1,000 individual letters of objection, not just signatures to a petition, at the recent Perth Farmers’ Market,” Mr Linacre said.
“On Saturday, with one other lady, she quickly obtained a hundred more while strolling on Princes Street in Edinburgh.
“Given more time and helpers, I have no doubt that she could easily have collected 10,000 or more.
“Throughout, she has encountered only a handful in favour of demolition. This Thursday, accompanied by distinguished supporters, she will deliver a fortnight’s accumulation of objectors’ letters to the director of planning.
“In addition, large numbers will have sent their objections directly by email.
“Advocates of demolition have dismissed every architectural authority in the country, the Prince’s Regeneration Trust and all those who want to see this great building revitalized in order to revitalize the whole city centre as motivated solely by ‘nostalgia’.
“Mercifully, most of us are more interested in reviving the city centre than in wrecking it.”
After the consultation period, council officers will prepare a report to go before the development management committee.