Proposed sale of part of Navigate building, Perth – common good property

Feedback updated 22 Jun 2026

We asked

The Council owns the Navigate building, a two-storey office building with single-storey garage annex located on George Inn Lane within the Perth Central conservation area. The building is recognised as common good property and is held on the Perth Common Good Fund account. 

The two-storey northmost section of the Navigate building is occupied by the Council’s Navigate service. With the exception of a plant room and fire escape serving the operational part of the building, the two-storey middle section of the building has been unused for several years, other than for limited storage purposes, and it is not in an occupiable condition at present.

The single-storey southmost section of the building is a garage used formerly to house the Provost’s car; it has been vacant since 2024 when parking provision was relocated to Council Headquarters.

In December 2025, Councillors nominated Lock Terrace Ltd and its directors as the developer for the proposed ‘The Heiton’ hotel development at 1-5 High Street, following a due diligence review prompted by changes in the status of the previously preferred bidder. Planning permission for the development, subject to conditions, was also granted in November 2025.

The hotel development is expected to generate new employment opportunities, increase visitor footfall, and support surrounding businesses. Lock Terrace Ltd has advised that the successful conversion of 1-5 High Street into a hotel is dependent on housing the hotel’s laundry facility (for storage of linen and other hotel consumables) and staff welfare facilities (staff kitchen and dining area, toilets and showering facilities) within an ancillary property in close proximity to 1-5 High Street.

A vacant part of the Navigate building has been identified by the hotel developer as the preferred location for these facilities. Locating the laundry and staff welfare facilities within the buildings at 1-5 High Street instead would reduce the proposed hotel’s room count and have a negative impact on the scheme’s viability.

To support the ‘The Heiton’ hotel development at 1-5 High Street, officers recommended selling the southmost section and part of the lower storey of the middle section of the Navigate building to Lock Terrace Ltd, in order to facilitate their conversion into a laundry facility and staff welfare facilities.

Section 104 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 requires the local authority to consult with the local community when it is planning to dispose of a common good property.

This consultation asked whether people agreed with the proposed sale of this Common Good property at market value, to Lock Terrace Ltd.

You said

A total of 39 responses were submitted via the Council’s Consultation Hub, of which 35 were submitted by residents and former residents of Perth.

The consultation responses were published alongside a report to Perth Common Good Committee on 22 June 2026.

We did

Perth Common Good Committee considered a report on the proposed disposal  of the property on 22 June 2026, along with responses to the consultation.

The Committee agreed to the disposal. The disposal will support the ‘The Heiton’ hotel development at 1-5 High Street by enabling the conversion of the property by the nominated developer into a laundry facility and staff welfare facilities.

Results updated 22 Jun 2026

The consultation responses were published alongside a report to Perth Common Good Committee on 22 June 2026 for consideration.

Files:

Closed 27 Apr 2026

Opened 2 Mar 2026

Overview

The Navigate building on George Inn Lane, Perth, and the adjoining former Provost’s garage, are both recognised as common good property owned by Perth and Kinross Council and held on the Perth Common Good Fund. The northern part of the Navigate building is occupied by the Council’s Navigate team which is part of the Education and Learning Service. The southern part has been unused for several years and is not in an occupiable condition. The former Provost’s Garage has been vacant since 2025. 

 At a meeting of the Council in December 2025, Councillors nominated Lock Terrace Ltd and its directors as the developer for the proposed ‘The Heiton’ hotel development at 1-5 High Street. Planning permission for the hotel development was granted, subject to conditions, in December 2025 (application no. 24/01613/FLL).

The Council proposes to sell the disused ground floor of the southern part of the Navigate building and the former Provost’s Garage to Lock Terrace Ltd. Lock Terrace Ltd has advised that the successful conversion of 1-5 High Street into a hotel is dependent on the hotel’s laundry facility and staff welfare accommodation being housed in an ancillary property within close proximity. The disused part of the Navigate Building and the former Provost’s Garage have been identified as the best location for these facilities. The proposed sale will not impair the Council’s continued ownership and use of the northern part of the Navigate building, which will continue to be held on the Perth Common Good Fund.

The southern part of the Navigate building and the former Provost’s Garage are shown coloured red on the plan below; 1-5 High Street and the intermedial courtyard are shown coloured black with the part of the Navigate building to be retained shown as a blue cross-hatch.

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The sale of the southern part of the Navigate building and the former Provost’s Garage to Lock Terrace Ltd is proposed on the following terms:

  • The sale price will be equal to the market value of the property being sold.
  • The purchaser will be solely responsible for all costs incurred in the separation of the Navigate Building into standalone properties.
  • The purchaser will be responsible for obtaining all necessary statutory consents for the separation of the Navigate Building.
  • The net sale proceeds will be allocated to the Perth Common Good Fund.
  • The subjects would be included in the development lease to be granted to Lock Terrace Ltd for 1 to 5 High Street, and the title would transfer on completion of the proposed ‘The Heiton’ hotel development.

Why your views matter

The Council is running a public consultation as the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 places a statutory duty on local authorities to publish relevant details and seek feedback before taking any decision to dispose of a common good property.

The Council welcomes the views on the proposal to sell the ground floor of the southern part of the Navigate building and the former Provost’s Garage to Lock Terrace Ltd. This consultation will be open to responses from members of the public for eight weeks. If you would like to respond to this consultation in support of or in objection to the proposed sale, please submit your response via the ‘Share your views’ link at the bottom of this page.

If, following consideration of any responses or representations received in the course of this consultation, the Perth Common Good Fund Committee approves this proposal, the sale will be progressed as part of the wider 1-5 High Street disposal.   

A summary of the results of this consultation will be made publicly available on the Perth & Kinross Consultation Hub.

Any personal information you provide, such as your name, may be used in a report to the Council, or one of its committees. Any report which is prepared may be accessible by the public. Your contact details will not appear in a report and your information will not be disclosed to third parties except as described above or if the Council is required to do so by law.

For further information, please look at our website www.pkc.gov.uk/dataprotection, email dataprotection@pkc.gov.uk or phone 01738 477933.

Areas

  • Action Partnership Locality - Perth City
  • Ward 10 - Perth City South
  • Ward 11 - Perth City North
  • Ward 12 - Perth City Centre

Audiences

  • All Residents of Perth and Kinross

Interests

  • Council Processes
  • Councillors and Committees
  • Democracy and Participation