Over 1500 people have demonstrated their support for the planned application to the Scottish Government for a Community Right to Buy the former Drummond Arms Hotel.

The Town Centre Working Group of the Crieff Community Trust has now validated all the signatures collected during February and March. The breakdown shows that there were 1,302 signatures from people within the CCT boundary, only 1,182 (92%) of which could be validated against the electoral register. There were 239 from outwith the CCT boundary, making the total signatures 1,541. The signatures are one part of a comprehensive Community Right to Buy application that is now being prepared.

Ruth Stone of the CCT said this week,

“This initiative has received incredible support. We thank all those people who have signed in support of the Community Right to Buy and all the shops who offered to collect signatures. This has brought people together from around Crieff. Most people just want to see something done to address the state of this building that has been neglected for far too long.

It is our intention to ensure that all those who can influence the future of the former Drummond Arms hotel understand that people in Crieff are actively seeking a solution for this key building in our town centre.

As well as the Community Right to Buy application, other work currently underway includes

• The preparation of an architectural report to illustrate how the building might be regenerated. This has been partially funded by Perth and Kinross Council.
• Application to funding organisations to raise up to £100K to prepare a comprehensive plan for the sustainable use of the site.

We are working closely with Perth and Kinross Council and with RBS to address the many challenges posed by the current state of this once beautiful building.”

Crieff Community Trust thanks the staff at Strathearn Community Campus Library for their support and help in providing access to electoral registers to enable the validation of signatures.