Drummond Arms Press Statement – 26 th November 2024
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On the news that the former Drummond Arms Hotel in Crieff is to be acquired by Perth and Kinross Council, Drummond Arms Regeneration Ltd, (DARL), would like to offer the following statement:
After a long period of neglect by former absentee owners of the Drummond Arms Hotel it was left to community volunteers to take action to find a solution for this landmark building. 5 years ago, Crieff Community Trust put in place Drummond Arms Regeneration Ltd. (DARL) to acquire the Drummond Arms with intent to regenerate the building for the benefit of the community.
DARL has had three objectives:
1. To ensure the safety and integrity of the building
2. To painstakingly explore all the potential uses of the building, including affordable housing, community use, low-cost hostel accommodation, flat accommodation and a boutique hotel
3. To fundraise to be able to invest in the best solution
What funds DARL has received have been carefully applied to conduct essential works tomake the building safe, and to prepare it for all alternatives, ranging from re-use to demolition. All money spent on the building to date would have to have been necessary irrespective of its ownership and the future use of the building and site.
Examples of the work carried out include the removal of asbestos and contaminated building materials, the
erection of essential internal and external scaffolding, and installation of steel ring beams to augment the stability of the structure, some of which was lost as internal floors became compromised. DARL’s behind the scenes intervention when it was needed has assured a safe environment for the centre of Crieff for the last 5 years.
Funds have also been used to secure the title of the adjoining building, formerly the RBS Bank, (without which any major works, including demolition to the former main hotel building, would not be possible), to market the Drummond to potential buyers, and to commission various development and cost appraisals for the alternatives considered.
Notwithstanding our 5 years of responsible, community-focused effort into this project the Board has reached the conclusion that there is now no commercially viable solution to regenerate the former hotel, due to the immense cost to preserve and restore the shell of the building and the lack of public and private funding that is required to do this.
The Board and its advisors have therefore reluctantly reached the stage where to continue to ensure the safety and integrity of the building, and with no remaining regeneration funding routes available, the co-operation of Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) is needed. DARL has now offered to transfer ownership of the building to PKC and let the council determine its outcome. That determination is that the safest and most cost-effective solution is to permanently remove the building, followed by redevelopment of the site. Without this action there was a risk that DARL would have to enter voluntary administration, leaving the building ownerless and the town centre at increased risk due to its ongoing deterioration.
