A Perth entrepreneur who runs a website promoting the local economy claims the city centre is being “failed”.
Iain Fenwick says the Fair City now has a “shop and go” culture.
The 49-year-old is the director of Perthshire Local, which was set up in March 2021 and has more than 50,000 followers. It also has an app dedicated to attractions and products in the Fair City.
Iain has criticised claims made in a £45,000 council-commissioned report on the city centre.
The Perth and Kinross City and Town Centre Retail Study was written by English planning consultants CPW Planning and the Retail Group.
It was presented by Invest In Perth, which is a branch of the council.
A total of 1,013 people responded to the household survey and 147 businesses also had their say.
15-minute parking encouraging ‘shop and go’ culture
The study claims the availability of parking in the city centre is a strength, with 75% rating it as good or average.
According to the Perth and Kinross Parking Guide, Perth is the first city to recognise ‘click-and-collect culture’.
This has led to all council-run car parks and spaces allowing 15 minutes’ free parking.
But Iain, who is at the helm of ShopLocal.Scot, believes this is reducing dwell time in the city centre and discouraging people to shop on the high street.
He said: “The results of this study are a contradiction to what businesses’ actually feel.
“I also feel that it’s dated – lots of places have shut down since it was conducted.
“Perth is good for comparison retail and hospitality – but the 15-minute free parking goes against that and incentivises convenience and a shop-and-go culture.
“It increases footfall but means that dwell time is being taken away with people no longer spending money in the town or on hospitality.
“People are coming in and getting what they need then leaving.
“This is adding no value to the businesses or the city centre.
“People are working from home and they are shopping online rather than on the high street.
“There needs to be a better balance.”
‘Council thinks museum is answer to all of our problems’
Iain believes the council is hanging everything on the new Perth Museum – due to open in spring 2024.
The former Perth City Hall is currently being converted and will showcase the Stone of Destiny.
Iain added that survival for a high street store means repeat business – which he doesn’t believe the new museum will offer.
“The council think that the museum is the answer to all of our problems – but nobody is going to want to come and see the Stone of Destiny more than once,” Iain said.
“We need to be looking at Perth as a destination and experience outside of the museum and I feel that the council are preventing the city’s growth.
“What we do well here is put on events but then we don’t advertise or promote them.
“These opportunities have to be maximised and keep people in the town and spending money.”
Council offers property grants
A council spokesperson said the retail study was commissioned to inform investment and the Local Development Plan.
It is undertaken on a regular basis.
They added: “It acknowledges the challenges facing many businesses but also recognises there are significant opportunities to re-energise the city centre.”
One of the council’s current initiatives is its Adapt Your Property grants.
These encourage owners of vacant commercial premises to bring those properties back into use, either as commercial, residential or for the community.
The spokesperson added that the council also regularly monitors footfall and vacancy levels, and engages with business organisations to form “priorities for action and business support.”
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