As Scotland’s newest city continues to grapple with the impact of the recession, a property guru will be appointed to restore its fortunes.
Despite its new status, Perth has not been immune to the ravages of the downturn. Now Perth and Kinross Council has come up with a blueprint to tackle economic ills.
A ”vacant property development officer” will catalogue the huge number of empty units that litter high streets across Perth and Kinross and then work to find new tenants.
It will also be their job to scrutinise efforts made across the country and replicate successful schemes.
Over three years the officer will have a remit to reinvigorate communities across Perth and Kinross, but with an initial focus on Perth city centre.
In the not-too-distant past Perth had a reputation as a shopping destination. It attracted visitors from across Scotland and, despite a disparity in size and number of shops, also persuaded Dundee consumers to make the journey along the A90.
That reputation has dwindled as more and more retailers, both big and small, have withdrawn or collapsed.
Perth does, however, retain a strong core of independent retailers and this sector appears to have stood up to the economic challenges better than many national chains.
Just under 9% of Perth’s shop units are vacant much lower than the national UK average of 14%.
A council spokesman said: ”The project will cover all of Perth and Kinross and there will be a particular focus on Perth city centre to help ensure the vibrancy of Scotland’s newest city.
”The overall aim is to promote and encourage regeneration around the Perth and Kinross area by enabling vacant and little-used buildings to be brought back into use.”
Local business leaders, including John Bullough, chairman and managing director of independent department store McEwens of Perth, have called for the council to show ”inspiration” and ”bravery” to arrest Perth’s decline.
He told The Courier: ”Perth’s city centre is in crisis. The departure of Laura Ashley and Past Times has made the western end of our High Street almost derelict.
”This, combined with the rotting shell of our city hall, gives us all the flavour of what the future of Perth may look like if we are not prepared to take the brave decisions that are required to protect its businesses and make its centre more vibrant.”