£1 council offices in Perth could become 74-room luxury hotel with ‘managed attractions’

Plans have been unveiled to turn a former council office building in Perth city centre into a luxury hotel.

Hotel development company Lock Terrace Limited has lodged a planning application to convert 1-5 High Street into a 74-room hotel.

The proposal submitted to Perth and Kinross Council includes plans to add two additional floors to the rear of the historic building.

Perth and Kinross Council came under fire for the sale of the building when the plans emerged in 2020.

Cross-party councillors questioned why the authority was selling offices for £1 when it was renting space in Pullar House for £2.5m a year.

Plans for boutique hotel in Perth city centre unveiled

If approved, developers will also remodel the existing rear garage building into a back-of-house space and landscape the existing courtyard.

Additionally, the existing jail cells, courtroom and chapel spaces will be turned into “managed attractions, feature rooms, and meeting rooms.”

The design statement says: “The proposal will present a significant improvement and enhancement of the present situation and to the wider area, providing a high-quality hotel development that also assists in celebrating the history of the area.

“The development, importantly, safeguards this at-risk building in the long term by reconnecting it to the town centre and provides a sustainable and valuable use for this building whilst maintaining its heritage assets for future generations.”

The local authority previously declared the building was not suitable for “efficient office accommodation”.

Members of the public can comment on the planning application until December 20.

In September, the council’s planning chief David Littlejohn updated councillors on the progress of the development.

Elsewhere, the demolition of Crieff’s Drummond Arms Hotel could cost Perth and Kinross Council £3 million.