Falkirk Town Hall will be demolished alongside the municipal buildings, councillors agreed, despite strong criticism of the consultation process.
Councillors attending a meeting of Falkirk Council today (Thursday) were warned that they were not there to debate the closure of the town hall, as that decision had been taken already.
Instead, they were there to hear the results of a consultation that had been a legal requirement, since the land belongs to the Common Good, having been purchased by the old burgh of Falkirk.
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Members of the public were asked one question: did they agree to hasten the demolition of Falkirk Town Hall or not.
Of 369 responding to the consultation, a slim majority were against demolition but members heard that was because many of them wanted the town hall to remain open, which wasn't an option.
Paul Kettrick, head of Invest Falkirk, told members that keeping the town hall standing would make it an eyesore as it became more dilapidated.
It would also cost money to pay rates and provide security and to make it safe as the building contains asbestos and could attract anti-social behaviour.
Further down the line, it could mean a delay in selling the site, which will be used to help fund a replacement.
For these reasons, he recommended that the demolition process be approved.
Labour and Independent councillors were very critical of the consultation process.
Labour councillor Siobhan Paterson said: "The low level of response to this consultation isn't really surprising. The people of Falkirk are absolutely scunnered filling out consultations on what services they are going to lose next, especially at a time when families have all got enough to contend with."
She said she feared they were going to risk alienating constituents further as "it's going to be the public perception that we're giving zero heed to the responses to this consultation."
Independent councillor, Billy Buchanan, said he had himself hired the town hall for a remembrance event and those attending "could not believe Falkirk Council was going to demolish that hall."
He attempted to propose a motion that the facility should stay open but he was not supported by other councillors.
Conservative councillor James Bundy agreed to the demolition as the site would quickly become an eyesore, but he urged officers to think carefully about what a replacement will look like.
He said any new building should take its cue from Trinity Church and the Steeple as this is "a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance the harmony of the High Street by adding a building which complements existing beautiful architecture."
Falkirk council leader, Councillor Cecil Meiklejohn, said that getting a replacement town hall "had been in members' hands to be able to progress that" but it had not been supported.
She said there was justification in pressing ahead with the demolition due to the huge risks of having such a large building lying vacant.
However, she added that it was time to "celebrate and acknowledge" the huge work that is being done to press on with a replacement town hall.
