The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
The Atrium building in Perth’s Glover Street was demolished yesterday to make way for an 80-bed care home.
Atrium has lain empty for two years and will be replaced by 80-bed residence
A former council office building in Perth was flattened yesterday to make way for a new 80-bed care home.
The Atrium building on Glover Street has lain empty for two years after being decanted by Perth and Kinross Council and Living Wage Scotland.
However, yesterday morning the first steps towards bringing the site back into use were taken as the structure was razed.
Developers Simply UK saw their proposals to demolish The Atrium and erect a new three-storey care home in its place approved by the local authority’s planning and development management committee earlier in the summer.
The firm’s management predict that the home will create 20 jobs in its first year.
Linda Meston, director of care at Simply UK, said: “The community were very positive and supportive of this development and the service that it will provide.”
Developers Simply UK conducted a survey of the city last year which found that out of 381 existing beds across the five residential facilities in Perth, only five were available at the time.
Nearby residents raised concerns over the reduction in the number of car parking spaces that will be available after construction of the care home is complete.
The development is set to see the number of parking spaces at the site slashed from 114 to 34, however council officers have said this is a necessary sacrifice for the project to go ahead.
Recommending approval of the application, planning officers stated: “The council will support developments supporting housing for particular needs, such as housing for the frail, elderly or special needs where they are located within residential areas with good access to services.”
The number of care homes in Perth dropped from six to five in August 2018 when the council-run Beechgrove House care home in Oakbank had its 18 beds decommissioned.
At the end of April, Four Seasons, who run the city’s Craigieknowes care home, went into administration. The home has remained open since then.
The community were very positive and supportive of this development andthe service that it will provide. LINDA MESTON, DIRECTOR OF CARE AT SIMPLY UK