Crumbling Perth block repaired

Work is under way on an ageing city centre tenement block following fears over crumbling masonry.

The well-trodden vennel between George Street and Bridge Street was closed in February, after locals reported stonework falling from the top of the flats.

Perth and Kinross Council blocked off the lane – known as Albert Close – with barriers and danger notices while officers were tasked with tracking down the property’s owners.

The block is next to a section of Perth’s old city wall, said to be one of the last surviving medieval features.

The route has now been reopened, with scaffolding in place to protect the building.

Residents were allowed to stay in the block while the lane was closed.

The lane is a popular short cut between shops on George Street and Perth Concert Hall.

Concerns about ageing city centre buildings came to the fore last year after a 25-yearold woman was injured when the ground floor of her Atholl Street block caved in.

While it was on the market, the former McEwens department store building on St John Street was also sealed off because of falling stonework.

In September, cash incentives were offered to property owners to help them bring dangerous and dilapidated buildings up to scratch.

Perth and Kinross Council has drawn up a list of disused buildings in need of repair.