Refurbishment works are scheduled to begin at 2 High Street, Perth, in the new year.

The project will help preserve the building for future use.

Currently, the building houses Perth and Kinross Council staff and services, and the work is part of a wider 'Perth Office Programme', which aims to reduce the number of properties in the city which are occupied by the local authority.

The work at 2 High Street forms part of the Perth Office Programme, which aims to reduce the number of city centre offices occupied by the Council, saving money on leases and energy costs and allowing customers to access services more easily. By focussing on key city properties, including 2 High Street, the Council aims to retain a strong presence in the centre in buildings which are fit for purpose.

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Staff based at 2 High Street will transition to a new site, based at The Atrium, from Monday 5 January, 2015, as refurbishment gets underway.

Around £9.6m is being invested to carry out essential maintenance requirements on the historic building to make sure that it can continue to serve as office and civic accommodation. The works will initially be funded by prudential borrowing, and this will be offset over a 30-year period by the savings in rental and utility costs the wider programme will bring.

Works are expected to take 20 months to complete.

Councillor Ian Miller, Leader of Perth and Kinross Council, said: "The Council is committed to retaining offices in the city centre, which will both allow easy access by the public to frontline services and will help to maintain the vibrancy of the city centre.

"Having assessed all of the available ways to secure office accommodation, the best value option is to invest now in the properties we own, knowing that in the longer term this will generate substantial savings.

"This is an ideal opportunity to lead by example and demonstrate that it is possible to create modern, flexible headquarters within a historic city centre, in perfect keeping with Perth's reputation as a small city with big ambitions."

(JP/IT)