The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Landlords of ageing buildings urged to act after floor collapses
Perth: Woman badly injured when hallway of Atholl Street building gave way
Landlords are facing mounting pressure to safeguard Perth city centre properties following the collapse of a tenement close hallway.
A 25-year-old woman was left badly hurt when the ground floor of a listed Atholl Street building caved in under her feet.
Firefighters were called to rescue her from the basement and help another three people out of their flats.
The emergency operation on Wednesday morning closed down a stretch of Atholl Street and caused traffic chaos throughout the city centre.
Perth and Kinross Council is being urged to put pressure on landlords to ensure the historic buildings, many of them listed, are secure.
The Atholl Street site is close to the old White Horse Inn which is derelict and on the Buildings at Risk register.
There are other boarded-up houses and roofless properties in the same area.
Afzal Mohammed, of A&S Properties, said basements below other flats on Atholl Street were “all rotten” and urgently needed attention.
It is understood crumbling joists at number 34 caused the concrete ground floor to give way.
MSP Liz Smith said: “If reports are to be believed, then the underlying issues that caused the ground to collapse at Atholl Street could be present in other flats.
“This is very serious, as these stairways are not only used by residents but also postmen and other delivery services.”
She said: “Getting building owners to agree to a common plan of action is often a long and tricky process and it might make more sense for the council to help conduct examinations, in the first instance, as to the structural integrity of basements.”
Murdo Fraser MSP said: “Assisting residents and building owners to ensure the structural integrity of their basements is the first place to start and it would be good to see the council lead on this in the interest of public safety.”
A large section of ground floor at the affected block has been sealed off with “dangerous building” warnings.
Residents are able to access their flats by going into another building and crossing a communal garden.
Brian Bell, who returned home yesterday, said he was escorted out of the building by firefighters, via the back door.
The 49-year-old, who is registered blind, said: “I was very surprised when I learned what had happened.
“The hallway here always looked well-maintained and clean, especially compared to the one next door.
“If you were asked which one was going to collapse, you wouldn’t have picked the one in our block.
“The condition of the basement has always been a problem though.”
He said: “I didn’t really know the woman who was injured. She was always the first one out the door in the morning, so its unfortunate this happened to her.”
A few doors down, The Mexican restaurant posted a message to customers on its Facebook page: “We would like to reassure you our building has been checked over by a structural engineer and is safe and sound to welcome our customers in as normal.”
If reports are to be believed, then the underlying issues that caused the ground to collapse at Atholl Street could be present in other flats. LIZ SMITH MSP