Perth and Kinross Council agrees up to £3 million to demolish historic hotel

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Perth and Kinross councillors have unanimously agreed to allocate up to £3 million for the full demolition of the historic Drummond Arms Hotel in Crieff in the interests of public safety.Elected members agreed to a "forensic" review after over £1 million of public money was squandered into the redevelopment of the listed-building, which dates back to 1874.Council leader Grant Laing said its demolition was "an action of last resort" with local councillor Stewart Donaldson describing the situation as "deeply tragic".In 2014 Crieff Community Trust began gathering support for a community Right to Buy the prominent town centre building.

In 2019 the trust set up Drummond Arms Regeneration Limited (DARL) and took ownership in a bid to bring the derelict building back to life.Just over £1 million of grant funding was awarded to the building project including the £90,000 purchase of the ground floor premises previously occupied by the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Money was spent on assessments, removing asbestos with more found later in the roof, scaffolding, stripping out and making the building safe.The majority of funding came from Scottish Government initiatives with £15,000 coming directly from Perth and Kinross Council.However, without prospect of future funding or a viable use for the building, DARL is facing voluntary liquidation.The report before councillors stated: "DARL will have exhausted its cash reserves by March 2025 and the directors have therefore decided to voluntarily wind-up the company at that time.

They have written to the council seeking help to address the public safety risk by stepping in to acquire the building and mitigate the risk it poses."On Wednesday, November 20 PKC’s Finance and Resources Committee was