Council officials are preparing to auction off furniture stored in former Perth council offices on 1-5 High Street as part of plans to redevelop the site into a boutique hotel. The furniture, which has been kept at the location for almost 30 years, now faces sale due to a lack of alternative storage options.

The building at 1-5 High Street, a B-listed landmark in Perth, was sold to a private developer for the nominal sum of £1 by Perth and Kinross Council, a decision that has drawn public and political scrutiny. The sale agreement includes that the transfer will be completed upon the full completion of a £7 million redevelopment project intended to transform the site into a hotel expected to generate about 200 jobs and inject approximately £1.12 million annually into the local economy.

However, the redevelopment has encountered hurdles. Henley Homes, the council’s initial preferred developer, entered administration with debts amounting to £67 million. Following this, the council signed a development lease with Rogue City Hotels, a subsidiary of Henley Homes. Rogue City Hotels subsequently ceased to exist after the financial collapse of one of its properties, the Dunalastair Hotel Suites in Kinloch Rannoch, which went into administration with debts of £4 million.

Since then, a separate entity led by two former Henley Homes executives has submitted plans to convert the former council office into a 74-bedroom hotel. This ongoing saga has sustained concerns regarding the viability and future of the hotel project.

Regarding the stored furniture, council officers have noted that while some pieces have cultural and civic importance, most items hold minimal to no value. It is reported that neither the council nor the agency Culture Perth and Kinross can accommodate the furniture given the limited storage space beyond the High Street site.

A consultation conducted by the council at the end of last year sought public input on the fate of the furniture. Among the feedback, one resident requested retention of ten historic Baillies’ chairs, and a councillor proposed keeping at least one of the crested chairs, both of which are linked to the former Burgh Council. The council report recommends keeping two of these crested chairs due to their historical significance and auctioning the remainder, with proceeds earmarked for the city’s Common Good Fund.

This proposal is set to be considered by the Perth Common Good Fund committee in a meeting scheduled for Monday. The council is legally mandated to consult the public before selling Common Good properties, which frames the ongoing process as transparent.

The redevelopment project remains a focal point of attention within Perth and Kinross, combining heritage conservation with economic development objectives amid financial and organisational challenges experienced by the involved development parties.

Source: Noah Wire Services