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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Kathryn Anderson

Councillors fear businesses might leave Food and Drink Park if issues are not resolved

There are fears businesses could leave Perth's Food and Drink Park if issues there are not resolved.

Last year a local resident claimed it looked like a bombsite and the council needed to persuade travellers at the site to move on.

There have been claims of damage to property and staff being verbally abused.

The issue has been raised by Conservative councillors at two recent meetings in response to Perth and Kinross Council's Communities Annual Performance report for 2021/22.

The report - put before PKC's Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee on June 15 - said sites at the park would continue to be marketed.

It stated: "We have been marketing sites at the Food and Drink Park for food and drink use and for general industrial [use]. This process will continue into the next financial year."

Perth City Centre councillor - now a bailie - Chris Ahern had reservations. He highlighted an issue between businesses and the gypsy/traveller community there.

Bailie Chris Ahern (Conservative councillor for Perth City Centre) (Angus Forbes/Scottish Conservatives)

Bailie Ahern said: "We currently have one set of caravans there that have now been there for over a year and they are having an effect on the businesses that currently occupy the units there. Some of them are thinking about moving out because of the problems that have occurred there.

"My concern is we are trying to market the Food and Drink Park for use but if we have existing users wanting to move away because of it, are we going to have a problem trying to attract other businesses to come into that area?"

Depute director of Communities Claire Mailer said she understood the points being raised and added: "There is very much a multi-agency approach to support the business community, local residents and indeed any visitors to the Food and Drink Park.

"We have had a number of visitors/residents who have had more extended stays on the Food and Drink Park over the past couple of years primarily obviously due to the COVID situation."

She told councillors of her team's intention to bring a report back to the committee on September 5 with proposals for support on the site. She said they worked very closely with the economic development team "to make sure we are fully engaged with the team and indeed the business community to support any actions going forward".

Service manager Michelle Dow said: "We continue to monitor the Food and Drink Park site and continue to respond to any concerns."

Afterwards Bailie Ahern told the Local Democracy Reporting Service businesses had said "the situation has to change otherwise they would consider moving".

He said: "There has been damage caused to property, verbal abuse to staff and pallets from the yards removed. It is all circumstantial with regards to the pallets going, but other events have been captured in the past on the door cameras."

When the same report was put before PKC's Environment, Infrastructure and Economic Development Committee on June 29 Almond and Earn councillor Frank Smith raised similar concerns.

Cllr Frank Smith (Perthshire Advertiser)

The Conservative councillor asked if the travellers were still there and how successful the introduction of a fly-tipping camera had been on the site.

PKC's head of Environment and Consumer Services Mark Butterworth said: "It's a very popular site for the travellers and - regardless what we do as a local authority - the travellers see it as a historic site and will continue to go there. We do our best to minimise the impact on businesses. We provide facilities.

"We have got a fly-tipping problem in the area and we have put some cameras up and some signage up. We are still experiencing small amounts of fly-tipping - as far as I am aware - but it has certainly improved the situation so hopefully the camera is working."

CCTV camera at Perth Food and Drink Park (Perthshire Advertiser)

He added: "I think it's almost certain that site will continue to be a stopping place for travellers until we can come up with an alternative."

Cllr Smith responded: "We need to monitor it as business is not going to go there if we have all those people there."

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