A full survey of one of Stirling’s most iconic and historic features is to be carried out to ensure it will last for years to come.
The Steeple building at the top of King Street – also known as The Atheneum – is a three-storey A-listed building built in the early 19th century.
The property is part of the Stirling Council Common Good Fund and is decorated by a clock and statue of William Wallace. The entrance is on the ground floor, with offices on the first and second floors which can only be accessed by a circular staircase, with no lift and no dedicated parking.
While the building is one of the city’s most recognisable, The Steeple was last revalued in April 2020 by a registered valuer within Stirling Council as being worth £140,000. Part of the council’s commercial portfolio, it has been used by Stirling Council services and most recently by the company Sales Agility, who vacated the building in May.
Last week, however, the authority’s civic panel agreed that up to £9000 could be spent from the Stirling Common Good Fund on a condition survey.
As well as assessing the current condition of the building, it will also help to build a longer term investment plan to ensure the condition is maintained.
The last condition survey was undertaken in June 2018, by an external surveying resource and concentrated on just the external fabric of the building.
Officers told the panel: “Taking the opportunity of having a vacated building, Infrastructure Delivery aim to carry out a full condition survey, including fabric, mechanical and electrical elements of the building. A full survey of this scale is difficult with an operational tenant in place.
“The survey will provide an overview of the building, highlighting any urgent actions, and detailing further longer-term investment projects required over the coming years to ensure the building is retained in a good condition. The survey will not delay the marketing of The Steeple and officers will work with any new tenant if upgrade works are required.”
