Go-ahead for former primary school to be turned into flats

Blairgowrie: £5m community hub bid fails

A former Perthshire primary school is to be turned into homes after a bid to turn it into a community hub failed.

Blairgowrie’s Hill Primary will be transformed into 17 flats and one house after Perth and Kinross Council gave the project the green light.

In September 2015 the Ericht Trust unveiled their £5 million plan to use the B-listed building for a cinema, heritage and print museum, arts and crafts studio, play centre and café.

But they were unable to buy the building to move their plans forward, leaving developers free to put forward their proposals.

Under the approved plans, the main building will be converted into 11 flats and a single house, while the more modern infant school will be turned into five flats. The canteen building will be demolished.

The plans have been backed by Historic Scotland, but the watchdog expressed some reservations about the original proposed design as it included glass balconies.

In a letter to Perth and Kinross Council, they said: “We welcome this scheme, which would secure a positive future for the 1878 category B listed Hill Primary School and we are content with the principle of what is proposed.

“Our view is that the character of the principal elevation of the 1878 building should be protected as far as possible. The proposed glazed balconies on this elevation, in our view, detract from this character and should preferably be omitted from the scheme.”

The plan has since been approved with the original frontage largely retained.

The original single storey Board School was opened by Mr Alan Macpherson, chairman of the school board, on August 19 1879.

It was built, at a cost of £6,000, on glebe land belonging to the established church, and was one of the first Parish Schools following the Education Act of 1872.

It was then enlarged in 1909 with the centre range heightened to two storeys and a canteen built. In 1939 the Infant and Junior School was planned but construction was delayed by the Second World War and it was not opened until 1948.

The school closed in 2009 when pupils were moved to Blairgowrie Community Campus.

Under the approved plans, the main building will be converted into 11 flats and a single house, while the more modern infant school will be turned into fiveflats

An artist’s impression of how the former school will be transformed.