Plans to transform an “eyesore” in Blairgowrie into affordable housing have been hampered by the way the Scottish Government awards funding.
Perthshire Housing Association (PHA) purchased the former Quinn’s Picture House in the town’s Reform Street a little over a year ago with a view to converting it into flats.
However, there has since been a significant cut in the funding available for such projects, and PHA has been forced to submit a grant bid in the hope of keeping the project on track.
Proposals to demolish the art-deco style building have already been agreed by Perth and Kinross Council.
It was work that would already have been under way on what is a prime town centre site to help address the huge need for affordable housing within Blairgowrie.
At present, there are more than 300 people awaiting a home who have selected Blairgowrie as their first choice, yet there were just 15 vacancies last year.
While there is no reason to think funding will not eventually be made available, PHA development director Alison Crook admitted there would at the very least be a delay.
She said, “We have now owned this site for over a year and we had hoped to start building in 2011, but that has been put on hold because of a reduction in government funding.
“Usually at this time of year we would be hearing how much money was to be made available to us for projects, but with less money now available for social housing we instead find ourselves having to submit grant bids on a case-by-case basis.
“We will be submitting a bid for this site and hopefully it will be successful, but whatever the outcome we will not know until August.”
Ms Crook added, “The impact of the government’s cuts have been felt across the board but in particular by the construction industry.
“This type of housing is much needed in Blairgowrie, and Perthshire Housing Association is very aware of that.
“We are trying to do our best, but our efforts need to be backed-up by public funding.”
Ms Crook also gave assurances over the nature of the development, which she said would be designed to sit sympathetically within Blairgowrie town centre.
“We are very conscious of the need for that as is the council’s planning department but that need for a sympathetic development is strengthened given that the site is within a conservation area.”
Despite the delay in funding, Perthshire Housing Association is hopeful work will begin on the site sooner rather than later.
It was an initial condition of planning consent for the site that the existing cinema building be retained until building work on the flats was ready to follow.
It is hoped, however, that the planning authority will reconsider and allow the site to be cleared prior to any decision being announced in August.
“We are faced with a delay, and that gives us a problem,” Ms Crook added.
“In our opinion the site is now something of an eyesore and should be demolished immediately.
“Because of the difficulties we have had, we are now asking the planners to let us do just that and in that we have the support of the local community council who are also concerned by the increasingly derelict nature of the building.”
Blairgowrie and Rattray Community Council chairman Jim Bradley said, “There is absolutely no reason why this project should not go ahead as affordable social housing is a national priority.
“This building is now an eyesore in the centre of Blairgowrie and we fully support Perthshire Housing Association’s course of action.”
The cinema was opened in Blairgowrie by the Quinn family in 1925 and ran several performances, six days a week in its heyday.
It closed its doors in 1983 and is now regarded by many as something of an eyesore due to its dilapidated state.