As energy costs soar Perth and Kinross Council is considering the energy efficiency of its buildings as part of its maintenance programme.
At the latest scrutiny committee meeting a councillor questioned what was being done to reduced the carbon footprint of older buildings.
The Strathtay councillor addressed the question to Culture Perth and Kinross' chief executive as she provided an update to the committee.
PKC leases buildings to Culture Perth and Kinross, Live Active Leisure and Horsecross - PKC's arms-length external organisations (ALEOs).
After hearing an update from Culture Perth and Kinross chief executive Helen Smout Cllr Grant Laing asked who paid the energy bills for Culture Perth and Kinross buildings.
The SNP councillor said: "Obviously we are facing major energy cost rises and some of these buildings you have will be difficult to heat."
Ms Smout said Culture Perth and Kinross was "very grateful" for the fact PKC "continues to maintain and manage our properties and that includes the energy costs".
She said Culture Perth and Kinross worked with PKC's energies team to make sure it operated the buildings "as efficiently as possible".
Cllr Laing asked if there was ongoing work to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings saying he suspected some older buildings were "not the most energy efficient".
Ms Smout said: "As part of the library review when we are looking at co-location and the use of the buildings going forward it will be very much mindful of reducing than energy footprint and reducing that impact generally on the climate. Decisions we take going forward will be very mindful of that."
PKC's head of culture and communities Fiona Robertson added: "The energy efficiency of these buildings along with all the buildings leased to ALEOs by the council is being considered as part of a wider maintenance programme of the PKC estate."
At an October 2021 Perth and Kinross Council meeting councillors were told the annual utility costs for Perth Leisure Pool and Dewars Centre - run by Live Active Leisure - stood at approximately £500,000.
