Plans have been lodged with Perth & Kinross Council to redevelop a long-abandoned former abattoir on Strathtay Road into a state-of-the-art modular self-storage park – the first of its kind in Scotland.
The proposal, submitted as a pre-application enquiry, would see the demolition of the deteriorating former ABP meat processing facility and replace it with a clean, low-impact storage development offering 116 drive-up modular units delivered in phases.
The application has been brought forward by SRA Ventures, which says the project will provide a secure, automated storage solution for local businesses, households, and tradespeople, designed with the needs of the surrounding community in mind.
Constructed in the 1960s, the building has stood vacant for over a decade. A recent survey by chartered surveyors Graham + Sibbald found the structure to be in “advanced structural failure”, with collapsed roof sections, water damage, and the likely presence of hazardous materials, including asbestos and RAAC (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete). The site has been deemed beyond economic repair with no realistic prospect of reuse.
Previous efforts to redevelop the site, including for retail, light industrial use, and a drive-through restaurant, have all been rejected, mainly due to traffic concerns, operational intensity, and poor compatibility with nearby homes.
This latest proposal from SRA Ventures takes a different approach. The proposed Stronghold modular storage units are custom-built for visually sensitive settings, featuring insulated flat panel exteriors, concealed fixings, and a flush roof profile.
The units are insulated using aerogel, a high-performance material developed for NASA, allowing for stable interior conditions without heating or ventilation. Access would be fully automated via smartphone, with no permanent on-site staff and 24/7 monitored CCTV.
Susana Garcia, Chief Operating Officer at SRA Ventures, said: “This is a smart solution to a long-running problem. The building has become unsafe, but previous proposals just didn’t work for the location. What we’re offering is something quiet, secure, and genuinely useful, without the disruption. We’re excited to bring forward a new model for how sites like this can be brought back into use.”
SRA Ventures Ltd is owned by Scottish entrepreneur Shaf Rasul, known for his role as an online Dragon on Dragons’ Den. Part of the E-net Group, which he has built over two decades, the firm has roots in tech, retail, and investment, and now manages a wide-ranging commercial property portfolio across Scotland, including industrial, retail and mixed-use sites.
SRA Ventures is the driving force behind the Perth Storage Units initiative – perthstorageunits.co.uk – which serves as a community information hub for the proposed transformation of the former ABP meat-processing plant on Strathtay Road into Scotland’s first purpose-built, design-led modular self-storage park. Subject to planning consent, demolition could begin later this year, with the first storage units expected to open in early 2026.
Source: Chanel Oosthuysen (On behalf of SRA Ventures)
