Vivian Linacre, the campaigner who wanted to transform Perth City Hall into an upmarket food hall, has died at the age of 93.
Born in Liverpool in August 1928, the property developer was also known for his opposition to compulsory metrication when the EU’s weights and measures directive came into force.
He was also UKIP’s first candidate to stand in Scotland, with Nigel Farage acting as his election agent.
In the Perth and Kinross by-election of 1995 he polled 504 votes to finish sixth.
Linacre established himself as a property developer in London and Scotland and worked on a number of town centre projects.
He also wrote several books and set up the The Scottish Property Industry Festival of Christmas charity which went on to raise millions for Childline.
Linacre was Scottish chairman of the Scottish appeal committee for the 1987 UN International Year of Shelter for the Homeless.
He is best known in Perth for his attempts to preserve the city hall.
In 2011 he helped set up the Perth City Market Trust (PCMT) with the city hall seemingly under threat.
PCMT aimed “to restore Perth’s historic market heart” by opening up the building and integrating a permanent food market hall to create “a vibrant and thriving market square”.
Its plans were rejected by the council, however, city hall has been saved and will soon host a museum featuring the Stone of Destiny as its centrepiece.
