Proposed disposal of Soutar House, 27 Wilson Street, Perth – a Common Good property

Overview

Soutar House is the former home of the renowned Scottish poet, William Soutar, who lived and worked in the house from 1924 until his death in 1943, having been bed-ridden since the age of 26. Please refer to the Draft Deed Plan below for location and extent of the property.  

A Common Good property, the house was gifted to the Royal Burgh of Perth in January 1964 by William’s sister, Evelyn Auty, and it has been used for various purposes over the last 61 years.

The property has now been declared surplus to operational requirements by Perth and Kinross Council. Since the gift was originally accepted subject to the condition that the house would revert to Evelyn or her successors should the local authority no longer have reason to occupy it, the Council proposes to return Soutar House to Evelyn’s successors, subject to approval from the Perth Common Good Fund Committee.

Why your views matter

William Soutar’s poetry met with critical acclaim during his lifetime, and he became a leading figure of the Scottish Renaissance. The family home at 27 Wilson Street in Perth is now widely known as Soutar House. 

At the time of his father's death in 1958, he had intended to bequeath the house to the city of Perth because of the property’s strong cultural association with his son. John’s daughter, Evelyn Auty (William’s sister), honoured his wishes by gifting the house to The Lord Provost, Magistrates and Councillors of the City and Royal Burgh of Perth in 1964.

After reorganisations of Scottish local authorities, Soutar House (above) is today in the ownership of Perth & Kinross Council.  As a former burgh property meeting certain criteria, it is included on the Council’s Common Good Land Register and held by the Council on the Perth Common Good Fund. 

Since 1964 Soutar House has been let to Council employees and has been the home of successive Perth & Kinross Writers in Residence. Most recently Soutar House was used by Culture Perth & Kinross as a library and facility for the advancement of the visual and applied arts, heritage and culture. Culture Perth & Kinross recently withdrew from the property, and the Council has declared it to be surplus to operational requirements.

In line with John and Evelyn’s wishes, The Lord Provost, Magistrates and Councillors of the City and Royal Burgh of Perth accepted the gift of Soutar House subject to certain conditions, including that the property should be occupied by an official, employee or suitable tenant of the new owners, and that should there come a time when those conditions are no longer being met, then the property must revert to Evelyn or her successors.

While these conditions are no longer legally enforceable following the abolition of feudal tenure in Scotland, officers agree that the Council has an ethical obligation to comply with them, given that the gift was accepted on those terms.

Officers therefore propose to return the gift of Soutar House to Evelyn’s children, who survive her.  As a Common Good property, approval for a disposal must be granted by the Perth Common Good Fund Committee. Should the Committee approve this proposal, Evelyn’s children have indicated that they would seek to sell Soutar House on the open market as a residential property. Officers consider that a return to residential use presents the best opportunity for safeguarding the future of Soutar House, a listed building and important part of Perth’s cultural heritage.

The Council is running a 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 of present and former residents of the city of Perth on both:

1. the general principle of disposing of Soutar House; and
2. the proposal to return the gift of Soutar House to the giftor’s successors, whether by means of transferring ownership of the property’s heritable title, or by selling the property on the open market and transferring the net sale proceeds.

This consultation will be open to responses from members of the public for eight weeks. 

A summary of the results of this consultation will be made publicly available on the Perth & Kinross Consultation Hub. A summary will also be included within a report concerning the proposed disposal of the Former George Inn Lane Centre that will be submitted to the Perth Common Good Fund Committee.

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.