Owner vows to make derelict property safe

THE new owner of a derelict building i n Brechin has vowed to make its masonry safe after a member of the public became so concerned he blocked off a public pathway.

Concerns were raised with Angus Council last week after debris from the High Street building landed on the Braik’s Close path beside the old Flicks nightclub building.

Former community council chairman Douglas Murray took matters into his own hands and put plastic fences across both ends of the footpath on S u n d a y, believing two cones placed on the path to be inadequate.

Mr Murray, who has served on community bodies for the past 25 years, said: “Given the condition of the building I felt there was a danger to the public so I took some community action.”

Bill Begg, the managing director of Cullochgold Services Ltd, only took possession of the former sandwich shop around six weeks ago and became aware of the masonry issue on Monday.

He said: “Pigeons have been coming i n through small holes in the gable and dislodging loose masonry.

“It’s cordoned off at the moment and we intend to put fence panels across the area and bolt it to the wall.

“The first we heard about it was on Monday morning. We don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

It is understood that the building has been empty for at least 10 years and Mr Begg’s company bought the site with planning permission to convert it into four flats.

An Angus Council spokesman said: “We will be securing off access to the close and seeking to carry out further inquiries with the building’s owner to ensure its safety and that of the public.”