A COMPLICATED situation has arisen over the future maintenance of Moffat’s Proudfoot Institute (PI).
Dumfries and Galloway Council have washed their hands of any responsibility for the historic building.
However, the Annandale North councillors remain its sole trustees.
Furthermore, the building is currently occupied rent free by The Proudfoot Indoor Sports and Social Club (PISC), with its facilities regularly used by various groups and clubs for meetings and social gatherings.
But the club has been locked in a back and fourth with the legal arm of the council over who is responsible for the building, as previously the council carried out work to keep it wind and watertight.
Now, it has been revealed that following a meeting with legal services, the local authority will no longer have any responsibility for the upkeep or the status of the Proudfoot.
As such, it will be the responsibility of the endowment trust.
The news has infuriated the club’s members as they have been trying for years to get basic exterior works done.
PISC committee member David Booth said: “This begs the question, who instructed the legal department to submit and agree to such a position?
“It’s very clever of the council officers to rid themselves of any financial responsibility for a building, that first was identified with issues with the title etc. in as early as 1975.
“Fifty years later the tenants find themselves in a significantly worse financial situation than previous.”
Club members are worried the building will fall into further disrepair and may have to be abandoned.
Mr Booth added: “The tenant, on the face of it, is now responsible for all aspects of the building internal and external and pay a rent to the trust, we never discussed council tax but that shall be in there somewhere.
“It is highly unlikely that the tenants could even contemplate such a financial responsibility.
“In any event how do the trustees intent to ‘manage’ such an arrangement since Dumfries and Galloway Council have no responsibility financial or otherwise?
“If we do nothing then a serious option is that the Proudfoot tenants leave the building.”
In response to the club’s concerns, a spokesperson for Dumfries and Galloway Council this week said: “The Proudfoot Institute is not a property belonging to Dumfries and Galloway Council. Therefore, the council cannot maintain or repair a property it doesn’t own.
“The council is a trustee of the Proudfoot Endowment, and this property is the only asset of the Proudfoot Endowment.
“An officer of the council recently met with the Proudfoot Indoor Sports and Social Club to begin discussion around the club taking on a long-term lease of the Proudfoot Institute in order for them to invest and maintain the property. These discussions are at a very early stage and officers will use best endeavour to support the club.”
