Historic Penicuik building awarded £450K restoration lifeline

 

The Penicuik Heritage Regeneration Project (PHRP) has awarded a £450,000 grant to assist with the repair and restoration of No 4 The Square, Penicuik.

High priority

A historic property prominently positioned at the top of Bridge Street, No 4 The Square is a high priority building for the PHRP.

Having lain vacant for several months, the building is in poor condition. The roof has also been leaking badly for the last few years, and the structure has consequently deteriorated, giving a poor impression of the town centre when entering from the south.

Planning permission

Planning permission has now been granted to restore No 4 The Square, providing a commercial unit on the ground floor with two one-bedroom flats - one on the first floor, and one within the restored mansard roof with dormer windows.

The shop front on the ground floor will be restored with its pilasters and cornice, and the upper floor will be re-rendered and painted with a new timber mansard roof in natural slate to match the original.

Historic building

Research has revealed that the building used to be a grain store, with the Penicuik map of 1796 showing a building in this position on The Square before Bridge Street was built to the south.

The total cost of the work is estimated at £793,846.00. The grant approved by the PHRP is £450,000.00 toward the cost of the grant eligible work.

Restoration lifeline

For Midlothian Provost, Councillor Debbi McCall, also chair of the Penicuik Heritage Regeneration Project Team, the work is an important project for the town.

She said: “The building has been something of an eyesore for so long, and due to its prominent location has adversely affected the view of the town centre when travelling from the south.

“This scheme will bring the building back to life, creating a more positive impression of the area. I am very pleased that it is going ahead and look forward to seeing the end result.”