Demolition of historic Perth City Hall approved

Councillors have given the go ahead for the demolition of Perth's Edwardian City Hall to make way for a new civic square.

Perth City Council officials have announced their approval of plans to demolish Perth's Edwardian City Hall to make way for a new civic square. The hall, which was built in 1911, has laid empty for five years and last year, Perth & Kinross Council received more than 300 letters for and against the plan, which has divided opinions in Perth. Vivian Linacre, a developer based in Perth, told BBC Scotland: 'It's one of the very few survivors of a large, perfectly intact, in perfect condition, perfectly reusable building - from that golden era of Scottish stonemasonry.' However council officials have argued that the new civic square would benefit Perth's economy and ensure that 15,000 people per year would extend their stay in the city as a result of the project.
Earlier this year, conservation experts began to draw up plans to save the historic B-listed building and turn it into a market hall. The demolition proposals will now be put before Scottish ministers before a final decision on the hall's fate is made.
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