Peterhead Burgh: Building Warrant Drawings First Series

• Reference:GB 228 AS/Aphd/5/2
• Dates of Creation:1893 - 1949
• Physical Description:
  382 sets of plans

• Scope and Content

  Peterhead Burgh Police Commissioners adopted the Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1892 in 1893, and delegated the building control powers enshrined in sections 166 to 185 to the Street Committee. Thereafter architectural drawings of proposed building work were submitted for the approval of the Street Committee until 1907. The Committee's decisions are recorded in the Police Commissioners minute book (ref AS/Aphd/2/5) until February 1898, in the composite minute books (ref AS/Aphd/1/4 - 6) from November 1898 to December 1900, and - following the amalgamation of the Town Council and Police Commissioners - in the Town Council minutes from January 1901 (ref AS/Aphd/1/7 onwards). The submitted drawings were numbered sequentially from 1. Drawings survive for around 22% of applications made between 1893 and 1907; there are no surviving drawings for any applications approved between October 1899 and April 1902.

  On 8 May 1907 the Street Committee resolved to establish a Dean of Guild Court to consider proposals submitted for approval. Submitted drawings thereafter formed part of the business considered by the full Town Council. The rules for the conduct of the court were approved by the Town Council on 3 June, and the first meeting was held on 13 August 1907. The Dean of Guild Court's final decision on each application is recorded in the Town Council minutes (ref AS/Aphd/1/13 onwards); further details on applicants, respondents and the consideration of each application may be gleaned from the registers of petitions, 1907 - 1933 (ref AS/Aphd/5/1/1) and 1933 - 1946 (AS/Aphd/5/1/2). The submitted drawings were numbered sequentially from 1, starting again in 1907. Drawings survive for 28% of applications made between 1907 and 1946. Of the 72% of applications for which drawings do not survive, 7% were made on behalf of Peterhead Town Council for warrant to erect council houses. Architectural drawings for these schemes may survive amongst the records of the Burgh Surveyor's and Burgh Architect's offices; these records have not yet been catalogued.

  The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1947 section 321 re-constituted the Dean of Guild Court. From December 1947 the Dean of Guild Court consisted of the Dean of Guild and 4 members of the Town Council. The Court's final decision on applications continued to be recorded in the Town Council minutes (ref AS/Aphd/1/53 onwards); a more detailed register of petitions was also kept from 1950 (ref AS/Aphd/5/1/3 and AS/Aphd/5/1/4).

  The drawings were recovered from the attic of Arbuthnot House, Peterhead, in 1996 and 1997. The drawings were found in considerable disarray, and have been put back into their original sequential order. The list entries have been compiled from the minute books and drawings: the title has been taken from the minute book and drawings, the name of the applicant taken from minute book, the name of the architect from the drawing, and the date of approval from the minute book. In the period from February to November 1898 for which there are no surviving minutes, the apparent submission date or approval date - given in the Burgh Surveyor's stamp, or pencilled on the reverse of the drawing - has been given instead.

• Arrangement

  The initial listing covered items 1 - 280 and was compiled c. 1998.

  Items 172 – 280 were subsequently relisted in the 2010s with a BW reference, along with items 281 - 318 which appeared to follow this sequence. The original arrangement was therefore reinstated and extended (the BW reference is given in the alternative reference field).

  15 items were given A references in the original 1998 list: it is not clear why, they perhaps do not fit in the original sequence.

  An additional 8 plans were included in the BW list which did not fit in the initial arrangement and have therefore been given 'M' references.

  A small number of additional plans from this earlier period are included at the second series of building warrants (see AS/Aphd/5/3).

• Access Information

  Open