Perth's new sports centre PH2O "at least five years away"
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Daily Record
5 days ago
- Daily Record
Pitlochry Town Hall needs public's support to survive
Perth and Kinross Council has given a charity a year to show the Highland Perthshire community wants the town hall Pitlochry Town Hall's operations manager is appealing to the Highland Perthshire community to help secure the 125-year-old building's future. Earlier this month, the newly formed charity took over the management of the West Moulin Road venue as part of an agreement with Perth and Kinross Council. And the group has been given a year to demonstrate Pitlochry wants its town hall or the council asset could potentially be sold off to a developer. Carol Robertson was appointed Pitlochry Town Hall's operations manager in May 2025. She explained: "The charity formed in December 2024 to take on that task of managing the town hall. We're in that transition period just now from Live Active who have been managing it since 1991. "It's really come about because of the council's review of its buildings in the area so they're quite happy to offload the town hall, for the community to take it on and they're going to give us a bit of a soft start for the first year. "We've got a management agreement in place now but they still own the building and will help with some of the costs such as insurance and bills for that first year until we get up and running. "Then we need to prove we can run it as a viable operation and manage those costs involved in running the building as well and take it to a community asset transfer to bring it into community ownership. "To do that, we need to prove the community wants the town hall, is supportive, involved and use it." And the Pitlochry Town Hall group needs the local community's support on this - just as a local committee did all those years ago to get the hall built in the first place. According to a historic newspaper article, the idea of town hall first initiated some time in the late 1860s. But the project never fully got off the ground until around 1893. Mrs Butter of Faskally reportedly "threw herself very heartily into the scheme" organising fundraisers. A committee was formed, support gained and the foundation stone was laid in 1899 before the town hall officially opened in April 1900 on a site gifted by Captain Archibald Edward Butter, on the town's West Moulin Road. And 125 years later Pitlochry Town Hall group is throwing itself very heartily into gaining support to keep the historic asset for generations to come. Carol said: "It's really just one chance we've got because after this one year if none of that is in place, the community asset doesn't get transferred or anything else happens then there's no guarantee the charity will take on the building. So it could still end up the council will sell it, redevelop it or sell it to someone who develops it into housing, which would be really sad. "So we're going to work really hard to try and save it and stop that from happening. We've got lots of plans but with the timescale, we've got to get things in motion now." There are Scottish Country Dancing events on July 12, July 25 and August 9; a tea dance on July 28 and a mini wedding fayre on August 10 with the hope of getting some more weddings booked at the venue. There are also yoga classes, blood donations and driving theory tests booked to take place in the hall, amongst other things, as well as the weekly Pitlochry Highland Night which is held there if it is too wet to take place at Pitlochry Recreation Ground. The group wants to see Pitlochry Town Hall open more for visitors and locals alike, particularly following the loss of the Pitlochry Tourist Information Centre which VisitScotland closed last year. Carol - who worked in the town's iCentre the last two years - said: "Doing the information point idea means we can open the doors more often and people can pop in for a town map, some tourist information and even just locals who want to pop in to have a chat with someone. We'll have a leaflet dispenser outside the hall so, when it's closed, people can pick up the maps from there. And we'll have one of the maps on the notice board. "It's really up to us, because we're a very touristy town, to provide that service for the number of visitors we get coming through." Carol's own family links to Pitlochry Town Hall date back to her parents going to dances there in the 1950s and 1960s. While Carol has enjoyed going there to see bands, including Big Country, and a silent disco in March - events she would love to see repeated. She said: "We want to put on more things for local people and make it a bit more affordable. We're in a touristy town and prices are quite high. We're offering this membership to the charity to members of our Highland Perthshire community and they'll get some benefits like discounted entry to things." Pitlochry Town Hall needs at least 100 members to meet the requirements of its constitution - and it is almost there. Carol said: "We have 75 members now and one day alone this week we had about 20-odd join on the website. Membership's free but we need over 100 members just to demonstrate there is support locally." Highland Perthshire ward councillors have welcomed the progress made. Conservative Councillor John Duff said: "Community Asset Transfer of the town hall will save this historic building for the Pitlochry community, and I congratulate Pitlochry Town Hall Group for securing the management agreement - a key step towards achieving this.' "The transfer process can take considerable time so I welcome the move by Pitlochry Town Hall Group to take over the running of the building. This will secure the venue for the local groups and organisations currently using the premises and hopefully lead to increased use by the community in future." Provost Xander McDade described it as a "really significant milestone". He added: "Well done to all of those involved in getting it to this point."
The National
5 days ago
- The National
Ewan McGregor's £2 million mansion renovation plans rejected
The Trainspotting and Star Wars star had applied for permission from the local authority to carry out work on the roof at his Carse of Gowrie home. Documents submitted by his architect, David Bell Architects, to the Perth and Kinross Council showed plans to replace the lead roof with the single-ply membrane Sarnafil. An agent for David Bell Architects argued that the proposed changes to the 18th-century house were justified, given the high risk of theft. READ MORE: Major update on Glasgow Subway strikes during TRNSMT this weekend The document read: 'The building is at high risk due to the value of lead.' The agent said that the planned replacement material, Sarnafil, 'has no resale value, making it a non-target for thieves'. They added that the existing lead roof is 'beyond repair' and has suffered from fatigue cracking, splits, and failed flashings. In the document, the agent also said that patch repairs are no longer viable and have led to water ingress, threatening the historic fabric below. 'The existing lead roof is beyond repair, suffering from fatigue cracking, splits and failed flashings,' the agent said. 'Patch repairs are no longer viable and have led to water ingress, threatening the historic fabric below. 'Lead theft may also be a recurring issue, particularly on remote or vulnerable buildings such as this, making replacement with like-for-like materials unsustainable from a security perspective.' (Image: Jordan Strauss) Perth and Kinross council rejected the plans, ruling they would not preserve the 'fine detail character and special architectural interest' of the C-listed building. It said the move would be contrary to the local development plan through the use of 'non-traditional methods and materials'. Property records show that McGregor bought his home in 2023 for £2.35m after it had been on the market for offers over £2.15m. The Carse of Gowrie home comes with a gate lodge, a courtyard of outbuildings and has more than 15,000 sq ft of living space across three floors. It also features a two-bedroom flat, stores, and a wine cellar on the lower ground floor. Since buying the home, McGregor has been given permission to erect a replacement garage along with creating a new master bedroom and bathroom suite. The film star also won a fight with the local authority to repair 'yellowing' and 'water damage' to the mansion. In December, McGregor was given the green light to renovate a lodge on the grounds of the estate. Last year, McGregor said in an interview that he wanted to move back to Scotland at some point in the future. He said: "I definitely started to feel this pull home. I never saw it coming, it's weird. "I think whoever made the world started with Scotland and got it right."
Daily Record
04-07-2025
- Daily Record
Self-caterers protest against being "scapegoated" by Perth and Kinross Council for housing crisis
A demonstration was held outside Perth and Kinross Council's headquarters as a part of a Scotland-wide campaign The Association of Scotland's Self-Caterers (ASSC) has claimed its industry is being scapegoated by Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) and other governing bodies. On Friday, June 27, the group held a demonstration outside PKC's headquarters as part of a Scotland-wide campaign. The self-catering body believes blaming the self-catering sector for Scotland's housing emergency could spark a "crisis in Scottish tourism" and "risk hammering an £864 million self-catering sector that underpins Scottish tourism". An ASSC spokesperson said self-caterers had "become an easy target for lazy attempts to scapegoat the sector, rather than deal with the real issues at hand; utilising empty properties and building more affordable housing". The association said, in Perth and Kinross, self-catering properties account for 1.7 per cent of housing stock while 5.5 per cent of Perth and Kinross homes lie empty and inactive. The group argued it represents "hard-working legitimate local businesses" who "create jobs, support communities and welcome the world with affordable, flexible and quality stays". ASSC chief executive Fiona Campbell MBE said: "Hard-pressed self-catering operators will be experiencing more than a little sense of déjà vu as their sector is once again scapegoated for a shortage of homes. Recycling the same tired calls for even stricter controls on short-term lets, despite no evidence it will ease housing pressures, is regulatory overkill. They risk hammering an £864 million self-catering sector that underpins Scottish tourism. "Our message is clear: you won't solve a housing crisis by initiating a crisis in Scottish tourism by decimating local businesses underpinning local economies. Attention must shift to the real causes of the housing crisis and stop scapegoating self-catering." Earlier this year, on Wednesday, May 7, PKC's elected members voted by 24 votes to 14 to begin the process of introducing a short-term let planning control area for Highland and North Eastern Perthshire. Previously in August 2024 Perth and Kinross Council's (PKC) Economy and Infrastructure Committee narrowly voted against the proposal by a single vote. The paper put before councillors in May 2025 said research "identified STLs [short-term lets] as a contributor to housing pressure with the greatest impact in northern and eastern parts of Perth and Kinross" and said there was "limited land available to build more housing to address residential and demand from commercial STLs, in northern and eastern parts of Perth and Kinross". By February 2025, Perth and Kinross Council had granted 1699 licences for secondary short-term lets with the majority (49 per cent) in Highland Perthshire ward, 18 per cent in Greater Perth, 15 per cent in both Eastern and Strathearn and three per cent in Kinross, with numbers said to be increasing. A PKC spokesperson said: "Perth and Kinross Council agreed to carry out public consultation on proposals to introduce short-term let control areas in Highland Perthshire and the northern part of the Eastern housing area in May due to an increasing number of proposals for holiday rentals and the shortage of affordable homes in those areas. "The short-term let control area means owners who want to turn dwelling houses into holiday rentals now also need to get planning permission, as was already required for people who want to turn flats into short-term lets. It would not impact existing holiday rental properties. "The new rules will allow the public and elected members to have a greater say on whether they think the proposal is appropriate in those areas with the highest concentration of holiday rentals by considering the likely noise, impact on public services and amenities and effect on the overall character of a neighbourhood. "If the council decides to proceed with a short-term let control area it will need to be approved by the Scottish Government. "The higher concentration of holiday lets and second homes in these areas can reduce the availability of long-term rental housing and inflate property prices, making it harder for local residents to find homes. While we have not formally declared a housing emergency, we have developed a comprehensive action plan to address the housing pressures in Perth and Kinross. The core issue lies in the overall shortage of housing." The council said it was taking a number of steps to bring vacant homes back into use as well as building new affordable housing. The council spokesperson added: "To tackle this, the council has taken several proactive steps such as purchasing 134 properties from the open market, delivered 107 new-build homes in partnership with developers and housing associations, brought 23 long-term empty properties back into use and implemented a range of measures aimed at preventing homelessness wherever possible. "To further address the problem of empty homes, the council has increased council tax on second homes and is working closely with private landlords and homeowners to return vacant properties to active use."
