Provost, a key activity this year has been Perth’s application for City status. Can you provide an overview of the assessment process and timeline?

With regards the assessment process, very little guidance has been given about this. However, we are aware of criteria that were used in the City Status competitions of 2000 and 2002. These included:

• Is the town the judicial, administrative and commercial centre of a large area?

 

• Is it a regional centre for health and education? 

 

• Is its economy strong and growing?

 

• Does it have a distinct identity, underpinned by a strong cultural emphasis?

 

• Importantly is the Council ably led and financially strong?

 

• And finally, does it have any Royal connections?

 

Not mentioned, but very relevant in the case of Perth is our history as the capital of Scotland from the 800s to 1437, and subsequently the official second city of Scotland right up until 1975.

I believe that we fulfil all these criteria very well, and they are certainly all referred to in our bid document which can be seen on our website at www.pkc.gov.uk/citystatus .

With regards timeline, we were instructed to submit our claim by 4.00 pm on the 26^th of May, which I did personally.  We have been told that the announcement will be made “in the early months of 2012”.

 

Who is actually involved in the judging and who in your opinion is the “competition”?

H. M. The Queen will make the decision, but she will be advised by a committee of the Cabinet Office, headed by Deputy PM Nick Clegg, and assisted by Mark Harper MP, Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform.

Also involved “as appropriate”, will be Rt. Hon. Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State for Culture Media & Sport; the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, and Rt. Hon. Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

I am told that the Queen will be significantly involved in the decision, and we are doing what we can to ensure that the people around her (her advisors, Prince Charles, Earl of Wessex, and others) know about Perth, and we hope that they will discuss it with her.

Regarding our competition, there are some 20 towns from England, 2 from Wales and 1 from Northern Ireland.  All the English towns are hugely bigger than Perth - Milton Keynes has a population of over 200,000, and the 5 Medway towns (which include the ancient former city of Rochester) circa 250,000 of a population. They are all closer to London, and several have influential MPs.

From the beginning it was stated quite firmly that there would be one winner only from the whole of the UK.  We have been lobbying hard to get that changed.  

We are fortunate that as the only competitor from Scotland, we have had cross party consensus from Holyrood, and the active support of the First Minister.  There is just a hint that the “one winner” rule might be changed to allow winners from the periferal nations of the UK.

Many people seemed unaware that we had lost Fair “City” status. From an economic perspective what would a renewed city status mean in real terms to the businesses of Perthshire?

Our City Status and the Lord Provost-ship, were specifically removed when Local Government was restructured back in 1975. In Scotland we have at present 6 cities - Stirling (which is much smaller than Perth), Inverness (which is a little bigger) and Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee. 

Elected members and officers from this group of 6 are already influencing urban policy in Scotland, working with the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI), and liaising with Nicola Sturgeon MSP, the recently appointed Minister for Cities. In the medium term the economic impact of this group will be significant.  Perth needs to be included.

There are no grants, or other government money for achieving city status, although it may help us access European funds previously unavailable to Perth.  The award of city status will however give Perth and its surrounding neighbourhoods and towns a distinct advantage in terms of the way we can promote ourselves across the UK and internationally as a place for businesses to invest and grow and therefore it fits well into our plans for economic development and growth throughout the area. 

Regarding tourism, for some years VisitScotland has been running tourist promotions, focussing on conference and corporate markets, and targeting “Scotland’s Six Cities”.  Other Scottish, UK and international organisations also focus their attention on the 6 “official” cities. City Status would allow us to grab that attention for Perth.

In planning matters, Perth needs to raise its profile as one of the 2 major players, with Dundee, in “TayPlan” - the Strategic Development Plan, covering Tayside and North Fife.  The prestige of City Status will help us to influence local developments

 

And are there any of the City initiatives planned that we could still deliver upon if unfortunately we failed to win City status?

The initiatives mentioned above will only be available if we are successful.  However, the Council’s current economic strategy is, when compared with the situation elsewhere in Scotland, very successful.  The focus on “events” has ensured good hotel occupancy rates, with a knock on effect on retail and on cafés and restaurants.  I had an anniversary meal in one of Perth’s best restaurants recently, and was told by the proprietor that this summer had been their best ever. 

We are working with businesses in Perth & Kinross to develop a local renewables and clean technology industry.  We encouraged the construction industry by embarking on a council house-building programme, and continuing our commitment to upgrade the school estate for the benefit of our young people..

 

Provost, what’s your view on the Perth Town Centre? We’ve many empty shops, and our members feel that it’s somewhat neglected. What is the Council’s view on this feeling?

The percentage of empty shops in Perth City Centre is 10%, which is one third less than the average in Scotland of 14.5%.

At a time of recession, this vindicates the Council’s policy of protecting the viability of Perth’s city centre.  Nevertheless we are not complacent and the City Centre management team is working hard to  encourage firms to do business in the area, and promoting the City Centre as a great place to visit, for example via events like the range of markets held throughout the year and the popular summer and winter campaigns. Interest has also been shown for major investment in key properties in the city centre.

I do not think that the City Centre is neglected.  The resurfacing of the High Street is progressing well, and the completed areas show that it is of very high quality.  Other City Centre works this year included the refurbishing of St. John’s Kirk, and the Fair Maid’s House, and Lord John Murray’s House last year. I cannot think of any town or city in Scotland, the size of Perth, which has had so much good work and direct public investment going on in its centre. I was in the City Centre and at the Farmers’ Market earlier this month and the place was buzzing with people. 

 

Generally, there would appear to be good feedback on the recent “Town” TV programme. How do you feel Perth was represented? Is there anything else that you would have covered?

My initial reaction after watching the programme was very good.  I thought some of the aerial photography was excellent, the pictures of the fireworks were very good, and the “vox pop” interviews were all very positive. Absolutely everyone supported City Status!

However, it was a shame that all the filming was in the winter, and the coldest winter for a generation.  Much was missed:

• Perth is a tourist town, and is brim full of people in the spring, summer and autumn

• Nowhere in the whole of the UK has won more accolades in the various “bloom” awards

• Perth’s huge number of events - from the Perth Festival of the Arts to the Tay Descent - are very important culturally and economically

• We have encouraged, with considerable success,  the European “café culture” in Perth with tables on the streets, etc.

All of this was ignored, and accordingly, I cannot say that the programme was as balanced as I would expect from such a prestigious organisation as the BBC.

 

Putting a “business hat on” and given that PerthshireOnline members are local businesses, what consideration has the Council given for reuse of the City Hall to support local business activity (perhaps new businesses) rather than a piazza for local inhabitants?   

Your sentence implies that “supporting local business activity” and a “piazza for local inhabitants” are mutually exclusive. I do not agree.

For all councillors, city and rural, the city centre of Perth is extremely important.  Councillors have thought deeply about the project, and discussed it privately among themselves, in their various political groups, and in public in the Council chamber.  The project to build a new concert hall, and demolish the existing city hall and form a city square, was first proposed and agreed by the District Council in 1996.

The vision is to create a space that is versatile, attractive and practical. All of us have seen vibrant examples in other cities.  A few years ago I was in Bruges in November, and the square was filled with market stalls, an ice rink, and people.  And it was freezing cold. Why not in Perth?

In the summer it may be a venue for concerts, military parades, beating retreats, exhibitions, etc., while cafés can spill out onto the pavement – providing a space that meets the growing demand for all kinds of cultural activity that the community and visitors alike can share.

Furthermore, it will allow St. John’s Kirk to be the dominant building once again.  I believe that the civic square proposal will create numerous new business opportunities and bring benefits to the local community.

The building was actively marketed for re-use and businesses have been extensively consulted on the options. Businesses were asked whether they would have any interest in conversion, partial demolition or formation of a City Square - 52% of businesses indicated their support for a City Square and 48% were divided between partial demolition and conversion.

When businesses located in the immediate vicinity, or with an interest in the development of the area, were consulted, 95% supported the scheme. 

There has been very extensive public consultation, and consistently the favoured option has been a City Square.

Colliers International Destination Consulting were engaged to evaluate the cost of the various options and they advised that a public open square would give the best return on the Council’s investment, and that other uses – retail, arts, community use etc. would cost more and require continuing subsidy, which the Council cannot afford, and no one else is going to pay for.

 

Provost, what “call to action” would you ask of the local business community as we aspire to city status? Is there more that we should be doing to support the campaign?

There are two things that individuals and businesses can do.

• “Talk up” Perth - within the business community, among your friends, and especially when travelling out of Perth, to London or elsewhere, speak about Perth and whatever the topic, whether it is the architecture, the events that Perth puts on, the opportunities for sport and recreation, etc. etc., even the weather(!) emphasise how Perth is best.  I have been recruiting “Advocates”, people with influence, especially in London, to do this on our behalf, and they are doing so with good effect.  Perth’s own business people can help as well.

 

• Record your support online.  Go to the council’s website www.pks.gov.uk/citystatus and add your name and address to our growing number of recorded supporters, and then get your family and customers to do the same.

  

And, finally, anything more that Team PerthshireOnline should consider?

I would be happy to answer any specific issues (other than matters relating to Development Management) that any of your member businesses would like to raise with me.