Elected Member Briefing - Drummond Arms, Crieff March 2025

About this Briefing Note

Report by: Stephen Crawford, Strategic Lead - Property Services

EMBN Number: 038-25 

Date: 21 March 2025

Subject: Drummond Arms, Crieff

Responsible Officer: Katie Anderson, Assistant Project Officer

Details

Purpose

In November 2024, the Council approved a strategy to acquire a derelict hotel building in Crieff, called the Drummond Arms. This is a Category B listed building which has been served with a Dangerous Building Notice (DBN) in October 2024. 

To recap, Committee instructed:

• Officers to acquire the building at nil value and mitigate the public safety risk in compliance with the Dangerous Buildings Notice (DBN).
• Officers be instructed to apply for Listed Building Consent (LBC) and Building Warrant (BW) to demolish the structure.
• Agreed to allocate up to £3 million from the 2025/2026 Capital Budget to cover the demolition costs.
• Officers to prepare a development plan for the provision of a flatted affordable housing development in line with the Council's Corporate Asset Management Strategy.
• Officers to approach the project as a full demolition works to eliminate the risks posed'. 
• Officers to prepare a report to the Scrutiny and Performance Committee on a review of the Drummond Arms Hotel. The scope of the review to be widened to look at the Council's role in funding community led projects.

Members will also recall that in May 2024 council approved a revision to the Disposal of Buildings strategy to prioritise vacant sites for provision of affordable housing.

This Briefing Note is to confirm Property Services' current steps in actioning the instructions of committee.

Briefing Information

This project will be delivered in two phases. The first phase is execution of the DBN works. The second phase is the demolition of the main hotel building.  

Phase One 

The building was transferred to PKC in January, we are undertaking structural surveys every two weeks to ensure public safety.  

The focus of the Project Team has been preparation for the DBN work to commence in April/May be completed by June 2025. These works include demolition of the outbuildings, making safe and partial removal of the main building roof, and making safe the dormer windows. 

Prior to any DBN works commencing there are a number of surveys that are currently underway including: 

• Asbestos Survey 
• Bat and bird Survey 
• Gas and electric disconnections 
• Condition survey of 46 adjacent properties - letters to request access being issued w/c 24 March 2025 

Once the above are completed, and more detail is known about the process and timing of the DBN works, it is hoped a public meeting will be held with the local community to provide more information and assurances about the DBN works. 

This is a highly complex demolition project, and the contractors are undertaking the appropriate due diligence and design to ensure the demolition can be completed safely.  

Phase Two 

Listed Building Consent (LBC) is required to demolish the main hotel building. It is anticipated that an application for LBC will be submitted in Summer 2025. As with all listed buildings there is a due process to follow to ensure that the LBC application is competent for submission, this includes engagement with Historic Environment Scotland and Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust, as well as a full justification of why the listed building should be demolished. 

Once more detail is known on the method of demolition, the timescales and the likely impact in the local area, the Project Team will engage with the local community to provide more information. 

As approved by Council in November 2024 outline plans are also being developed for a potential affordable housing scheme on the vacant site, in alignment with the Council's Corporate Asset Management Strategy. Any future development on the vacant site would be subject to a full planning application at a future date.