Abandoned building is perfectfornewhousing

In a recent bar fire in Perth city centre 20 people were evacuated and extensive damage done (PA, August 25).

The fire apparently started in flats above the Venue Bar in Perth’s St John Street.

The accommodation was described as “abandoned “.

More damage had been done earlier. A chimney breast had fallen through the roof in February, putting a large part of the pub out of use. Three people were injured then and 80 evacuated.

Meanwhile, Perth and Kinross Council has turned down an application to build 55 houses for the elderly out near Scone Aerodrome.

Although the application got nowhere, housing is obviously desperately needed and greenfield sites are at risk.

Our authorities could solve several problems at once by buying up property in the city centre and converting it into flats for a whole range of tenants - young, old, small families and large.

Instead of allowing accommodation above a pub to become dilapidated, take it over, renovate it and rent it out.

The same applies to empty shops and the offices or flats above.

After a reasonable time to find a new shopkeeper, if no joy, then requisition, renovate and rent flats out to those in the queue for accommodation.

This would also mean attracting more people into the city centre.

They would mean extra trade for the remaining businesses and would save them from closure, attract more businesses in and revitalise the city centre.

It looks like a triple whammy to me. Why don’t our councillors try it? George K McMillan