A last minute change of heart from one of Scotland’s most high-profile employers has derailed council plans to build a park and ride in Kinfauns
The “surprising” last minute objection from landowner Edrington Group – whose brands include the Famous Grouse and Macallan – has sunk hopes of completing the much-anticipated facility by the end of next year.
The council is now weighing up the use of compulsory purchase powers to secure the site after reports the company now wants to build houses.
Local people in the Carse of Gowrie hoped the park and ride would ease traffic congestion and would provide a more regular bus service to Perth. Council officials also said the new park and ride would help alleviate air quality problems in the city centre.
Edrington hosted a Perth council consultation exercise on the plans in its offices in 2015. This was positive and the company submitted no objections to the full planning application, which was granted consent in February 2016.
But the drinks giant’s intervention against the inclusion of the park and ride proposal in the draft Local Development Plan has delayed proceedings, and may lead to the proposal being withdrawn.
Carse of Gowrie councillors agreed this would be a blow for local people.
Conservative Angus Forbes said residents had welcomed the proposed park and ride “with open arms due to the increase it will bring in bus services and economic regeneration”.
He said: “Edrington were in favour of selling this land to the council in the past and even went so far as to hold a pre-application consultation event in their offices.”
Beth Pover, of the SNP, said it had been thought of as “a very positive development for the Carse and the news will be disappointing for a lot of people.”
Labour’s Alasdair Bailey added: “As residents of the Carse and beyond will attest, the traffic on the Dundee Road into Perth is unpredictable to say the least. I would like to see this Park and Ride site built as soon as possible.”
The issue first came to light in a summary of objections to the draft Local Development Plan. Council officials wrote the Edrington’s change in position was “somewhat surprising” and that “negotiations have stalled in recent months.”
A council spokesperson said the Kinfauns site had been chosen a “prime location” for additional park and ride sites which were vital to “establish a more efficient and cleaner transport network in Perth.”
He said a Compulsory Purchase Order could be enforced if dialogue with Edrington fails to progress.
An Edrington spokesperson said the company “has been, and remains, sympathetic to the principle of a Park and Ride facility at West Kinfauns.”
He added: “We have registered an objection to the extent and selection of land within the current proposal in order to protect our position, within a legislative framework, as owners of the land.”
