Latest news with #PerthandKinrossCouncil
The National
12 hours ago
- Business
- The National
Community pub developed from old school in Perth and Kinross opens
The CornerStone Rannoch will officially open on Sunday, June 22. Formerly known as The Hub, the community-owned bar and restaurant will welcome the Kinloch Rannoch community in for a sneak peak on Saturday afternoon before officially opening to the wider public from 10am on Sunday. Back in September 2022, Rannoch Community Trust was granted planning permission to develop an £830,000 community hub in a former outdoors centre and school. READ MORE: SNP MSP Fergus Ewing to stand as independent at next Scottish Parliament election The consent was branded a 'major milestone' as the trust then sought to secure the remainder of the funding needed to complete the project at the Victorian building on Allt Mor Place. Originally built as the village school in 1840, it closed when a new school was opened in Kinloch Rannoch in 1965. In the 1980s it was transformed into a residential outdoors centre until Perth and Kinross Council deemed it 'surplus to requirement' and closed it in 2019. In July 2020, Perth and Kinross councillors voted to sell the former outdoors centre for £75,000 to Rannoch Community Trust to transform it into a multi-purpose facility for the community. A year later – in July 2021 – ownership of the building and grounds was legally transferred from Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) to Rannoch Community Trust. (Image: The CornerStone) Planning permission for the trust to develop it into a community-owned bar/restaurant was granted in September 2022, under delegated powers. The CornerStone features a social enterprise café/bar, manager's accommodation, office space, a meeting room, an outdoor seating area, new footbridge and a playpark. It will be run by a mixture of both paid and volunteer staff. The building was designed by Perth-based Studio East Architects to be 'as energy efficient as possible'. A spokesperson for The CornerStone said: 'Initially, we will be serving drinks only, until we hook a great chef onboard, so until then you can enjoy local beers on tap and so much more, we can't wait to host you in the heart of our village.' (Image: The CornerStone) There is also a meeting room with WiFi. The spokesperson added: 'Our flexible workspaces catering to groups or individuals is also now available to book: Work — The Cornerstone 'Our new website offers lots of information you might be interested in, so please feel free to take a look around there, or pop in to say hello, we'll be proud to give you a warm welcome.' Highland Perthshire ward councillor John Duff is delighted and said it looks 'fabulous'. The Conservative councillor said: 'I am delighted that the aspirations of the community have been achieved and that it will soon have this excellent venue for locals and visitors to come together, relax and socialise. 'The conversion of the former outdoor centre looks fabulous and I applaud the continued efforts of the community to deliver this exceptional facility providing food, drink, meeting and work space. I look forward to visiting the CornerStone myself in the near future.' Rannoch Community Trust was awarded £134,660 from the Scottish Government's Scottish Land Fund Award to cover the purchase of the building, legal expenses and essential repairs. It also received £250,000 from the UK Government's Community Ownership Fund and £308,000 from the Scottish Government's Place Based Investment Programme, which is aimed at supporting community-led regeneration.
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Dozens to be rehomed as Perth fire flat faces demolition
Dozens of residents will need to be rehomed in the aftermath of a fatal flat fire in officials told BBC Scotland News the entire building on the corner of Scott Street and South Street must be demolished as a result of the Eric Drysdale, deputy leader of Perth and Kinross Council, said 50 families of varying sizes were affected and significant disruption in the area would last for months. A man died and several others, including an eight-year-old girl, were injured in the fire, which broke out at about 01:50 on Saturday. Cllr Drysdale said the building suffered a heavy amount of structural said: "The whole building will have to come down, every bit of it. "It's a large building with four flats above and shops underneath. The whole of it is a goner, I'm afraid."It's essential the demolition takes place as safely as possible and that means disruption to traffic and businesses and residents for a prolonged period." Residents who had lived in the building will not be able to collect any possessions that survived the blaze others in surrounding properties face "being displaced for a prolonged period", Cllr Drysdale added: "That will involve them being rehoused as locally as possible. "Around 50 families will be rehomed, ranging from one to three or four people [in each family].Cllr Drysdale said the local authority would have to "step up" to support those affected, and asked any landlords with available properties to contact the council if they could around the area will likely be closed for Sunday Kieran Gibson and partner Ellen Fulton told BBC Scotland News that they lost nearly all their possessions in the fire, and were staying with family Gibson said he feared having to make the choice between jumping out the window and staying in the flat and risking being burnt to death as the flames took hold. The couple were rescued about 25 minutes after raising the alarm with emergency Drysdale said it was still too early to speculate on the cause of the fire.A temporary rest centre has been set up at the city's North Inch community from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service worked through the night into Saturday morning to extinguish the firefighters, one of whom was struck by falling masonry, were given medical treatment.
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Plans for Perthshire solar farm the size of 140 football pitches refused
Perth and Kinross Council felt the "excessive" scale had not been fully justified for such a "significant" loss of prime agricultural land A planning application for a massive 49.9 MW Perthshire solar farm - the size of around 140 football pitches - has been unanimously refused by Perth and Kinross councillors. Perth and Kinross Council's (PKC) Planning and Placemaking Committee met to consider the application - submitted by Solar 2 Ltd - on Wednesday, June 11. Elected members upheld the reasons recommended for refusal by council planners that it would result in a "significant" loss of prime agricultural land and its "excessive" scale had not been fully justified. Atmos Consulting submitted plans to PKC, on behalf of Solar 2, to develop Collace Solar Farm on around 100 hectares of land 500m north west of East Saucher House, Kinrossie. Presenting officers' report of handling on the application to councillors, PKC's Major Applications and Enforcement team leader Sean Panton said: "Unfortunately we are recommending refusal of the application before you. "Whilst National Planning Framework 4 and the Perth and Kinross Local Development Plan 2 offers support for renewable energy proposals, on this occasion the loss of prime agricultural land at this scale is not considered to have been suitably justified." He added: "The site is located approximately one kilometre north of the Sidlaw Hills Special Landscape Area and is also in close proximity to a number of historical assets including a number of listed buildings and the Kinrossie Conservation Area. "There are 82,000 solar panels proposed." Mr Panton said Solar 2 was questioned as to why "so many solar panels were required when this amount of panels would exceed a 49.9MW output". He told councillors: "The response was that it was commonplace to overplant solar farms. Consequently, we're of the view that 82,000 panels is an overprovision and this number of panels could be reduced obtaining the same output but with less prime agricultural land intake." The solar panels would reach a maximum height of just over three metres above ground level, as they tilt. They would be supported by an aluminium frame mounted vertically into the ground to a depth of around two metres with the edge of the solar arrays varying in height above the ground but with a minimum clearance of about one metre. The panels would rotate vertically towards the sun from about 60 degrees below the horizontal when the sun is at its lowest to horizontal when the sun is at its highest. As well as the solar panels, the proposal included plans for inverters, a substation, a substation compound, two containers, fencing, CCTV and access tracks. There were 89 letters of objection and four letters of support for the proposal. Objector Ian Thoms was born and raised in the area and has spent the past 11 years back there with his wife. He said the proposal was "poorly sited" and there were "better alternatives near where the energy is actually required". Mr Thoms cited a petition - with over 300 signatures - launched by Collace Solar Objection Group. The group is calling for Perth and Kinross Council to "protect rural Perthshire" and "pause all solar development approvals until a robust, location-sensitive, and proportionate planning framework is in place—one that prioritises rooftop and brownfield solar, protects agricultural land, and mandates solar recycling measures". He told councillors: "Walking along the core paths near our home, I often meet neighbours and strangers out enjoying the landscape. People come here for the peace, the view of the hills and the living countryside. "This would all be fundamentally altered by an industrial-scale solar installation with at least 40 years of high fencing, CCTV and metal infrastructure blighting the countryside. "The development would directly dominate the outlook from our homes, core paths and adjacent roads turning a living, working landscape into an industrial one." He added: "This project is one of 11 similar proposals in the Strathmore area alone. We need a more coherent, balanced approach." Fellow objector Jonathan Simpson said: "Scotland has over 9000 hectares of vacant and derelict land, yet this developer proposes to industrialise actively farmed prime land. "Before turning to ground-mounted panels, we should prioritise solar on rooftops, brownfield sites and existing industrial infrastructure followed by poor quality soils." Solar 2 project manager John Moisey argued it was a "temporary condition" and the land could continue to be used for "grazing beneath the panels". The report of handling stated it was anticipated the solar farm would operate for up to 40 years then all infrastructure would be removed and the site reinstated to its former condition. Mr Moisey said the 40-year set-aside could potentially "enhance" the soil by allowing it to "rest and regenerate" through a reduction in ploughing and ground disturbance. He told councillors the energy generated would meet the energy demand of "over 11,000 homes" and be fed directly back into the local grid via a distribution connection at Coupar Angus. Independent councillor Dave Cuthbert moved for refusal. It was seconded by Conservative councillor Keith Allan. The proposal was unanimously refused.
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Record
Provost's posh car replacement has saved Perth and Kinross Council almost £14,000 a year
Provost Xander McDade was keen to have a "more practical and environmentally friendly" vehicle anyone could use Ditching the swanky civic car has cut the annual travel expenses for the Perth and Kinross Provost by almost £14,000. Previously the Provost would be driven to events in an Audi A8 but in January 2023 Provost McDade announced plans to switch to a "more practical and environmentally friendly" option. Now, the Highland Perthshire senior councillor drives himself around or uses a pool car, which anyone in Perth and Kinross Council can use. In 2024/25 Perth and Kinross Council's 40 councillors (as well as two who resigned) claimed a total of £32,253 in expenses. Five councillors did not claim a single penny: Andy Chan (Con), Eric Drysdale (SNP), Crawford Reid (who resigned last summer), Caroline Shiers (Con) and Colin Stewart (Ind) who prides himself on having never made an expenses claim as a councillor. The vast majority - 98 per cent - of councillors' expenses claims were related to travel costs. There were no claims for meals or accommodation. There was just one training/conference claim, for Cllr Peter Barrett who convenes the Perth and Kinross Licensing Board, and the remaining £243 claimed was for telephone and ICT expenses. But - despite inflation and rising fuel costs - the expenses claimed last year by elected members was less than half what it was six years ago. For the tax year 2018-19, councillors claimed £75,178 in expenses. Removing the civic car is partly behind the 57 per cent reduction in councillors' expenses from 2019 to 2025. Provost McDade said: "When I became Provost I wanted to move away from an exclusive car for the Provost to something that could be used by anyone in the council to help save money. "Because I was driving myself to a lot of events, the previous car was sitting doing nothing a lot of the time which was not a good use of public money. So, we replaced the Audi with the hybrid Ford Transit which is now a pool car and can be used by anyone and is routinely used by schools for example because it has eight seats." As travel/mileage is, by far, the largest expense it is perhaps no surprise the three Highland Perthshire ward councillors' expenses account for just over a third of the total expenses claimed by elected members in 2024/25. Provost Xander McDade is one of those three Highland Perthshire councillors. He had the largest expenses bill of £4751. Provost McDade's claims were all for mileage and - while the largest for 2024/25 - were a 74 per cent reduction from his predecessor Provost Dennis Melloy's £18,529 claim for travel and mileage in 2018/19. Provost Melloy's total expenses claimed in 2018/19 including meals, telephones/ICT costs, etc., were £18,952. A move towards hybrid meetings has also played a part in reducing mileage claims. The Independent Highland Perthshire ward councillor said: "Since the introduction of hybrid meetings I have tended to try and do a lot more of the internal meetings online rather than driving the 50-mile round trip each time and this has reduced my own mileage quite a lot, but the Highland ward covers about 43 per cent of the Perth and Kinross landmass so all three Highland ward councillors inevitably have the highest mileage claims as it can take 90 minutes to drive from one side of our ward to the other. "My mileage is for local ward meetings or to Perth for council meetings, but I also drive myself to quite a lot of local events as Provost so use the pool car less than previous Provosts would have used the civic car." Another change since Xander McDade was made Provost has been the introduction of Bailies, with one representing each political group in the council. That too, has brought savings. Provost McDade added: "Since we reintroduced Bailies there has also been a reduction in mileage as I will often send a Bailie to a local event near them if appropriate." Details of the councillors' expenses are publicly available to see on the Perth and Kinross Council website. Bailie Alasdair Bailey - vice-convener of PKC's Scrutiny and Performance Committee - believes it is important for councillors to think about how the public purse is being spent but also that councillors are not out of pocket in their service. The Labour Carse of Gowrie ward councillor said: "The scrutiny that brings to the process keeps us all aware of the fact that when we travel on council business, we're doing so at the expense of the taxpayer. "However I do want to put on record my strong support for the ability of councillors to claim reimbursement for expenses. We have to remember that if we don't pay people adequately to hold public office, we inevitably end up being ruled by those who can afford to do the role voluntarily which severely limits the range of people and backgrounds we'll see represented on the council." Independent councillor Colin Stewart - who has pledged not claim a single penny - agreed. The Strathmore ward councillor said: "I think it's completely appropriate for expenses to be available to ensure access to elected office, particularly for younger candidates, but all councillors should be mindful about keeping their burden on Perth and Kinross residents and taxpayers to the absolute minimum. "Having not claimed anything in my first term as a councillor, I pledged that I wouldn't claim anything if elected for a second term - and I won't." A PKC spokesperson said: "Councillors can claim expenses for travel and subsistence costs incurred while carrying out their official duties. "In the interests of transparency, councils are required to publish information on councillors' salary, allowances and expenses in respect of the previous financial year.' "All councillors can claim travel and subsistence costs while carrying out their official duties. Elected members in more rural areas will, inevitably, face higher transport costs although it should be noted these have reduced significantly since the coronavirus pandemic. This is because more meetings can be held online and pool vehicles can also be used to reduce costs."
Scottish Sun
07-06-2025
- Scottish Sun
Urgent warning to Scots drivers over fake parking scam that steals cash
Drivers are being urged to take care when paying using their phones FRAUD ALERT Urgent warning to Scots drivers over fake parking scam that steals cash Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN URGENT warning has been issued to Scottish drivers over a fake QR code parking scam which could see them conned out of vital cash. Perth and Kinross Council have urged motorists to be cautious if they are paying online to leave their cars across the city. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The fake QR codes are being stuck onto parking meters Credit: Perth and Kinross Council Facebook Scammers are now leaving fake QR stickers on parking meters and are designed to look like they were placed by operator RingGo. The instructions are being stuck to meters and prompt drivers to scan and pay for parking. But the fake codes actually redirect drivers to a website mocked up to look like the real operator, where bank details are then harvested. Perth and Kinross Council reminded motorists not to scan them and insisted that RingGo never take parking payments by QR code. The operator only takes payments through the official app, which uses a secure, encrypted service. The local authority reported the stunt and said that parking attendants are regularly checking the machines for the stickers. Any codes found are being removed, and any drivers who come across them are being asked to report them to the council. Perth and Kinross Council shared a post about the scam on social media to alert locals. The message on Facebook reads: "Scam Alert: Beware of Fake RingGo Parking Websites. "Using the RingGo app is a safe and convenient way to pay for parking in Perth and Kinross. I was SCAMMED out of £100s by hidden sticker parking fee con - know the signs "However, please ensure you only download the official app from the App Store or Google Play. "Remember, RingGo never uses QR codes for parking payments. The official app allows you to pay via a secure, encrypted service. "If you spot any QR codes claiming to let you pay for parking, or see any websites asking for parking payments that don't direct you to the official app, please do not use them. "Report these to us at: parkingservices@ Stay safe and protect your personal information!" In the comments, staff added: "The team have been checking our machines and any detected QR Codes will be removed. "They will also continue to monitor the situation. Thank you." Users flocked to the comments to share their frustration at the scam, with many urging the council to revert to cash-only parking meters. One person said: "This is valuable advice. Take notice. We fell for the barcode scam, and got signed up to a random service for £100s." Advice for victims of fraud POLICE Scotland has issued some advice on what victims of fraud can do if they think they have been compromised. They said: "If your bank or credit card accounts have been compromised contact your bank and tell them you suspect you have been the victim of a fraud. "If you receive correspondence from companies about applications or accounts that you do not recognise, contact the relevant companies immediately and advise them. "Report the fraud to Police Scotland on 101. Keep a note of any telephone numbers, emails or other correspondence you have had with the fraudster. "Consider contacting a credit reference agency to review your credit report. If you notice any unauthorised activity contact the organisations involved, as soon as possible. "If you have been a victim of fraud be aware you details might be sold on to other fraudsters who might make contact with you in an attempt to make you part with more money. This is most common in the case of victims of share scams. "Fraudsters often call up the victim of such a scam advising they can get their money back for a fee.' Another added: "Bring back cash only. Will stop all scams". Someone else wrote: "Shambles - coins are safer". A fourth posted: "This is good advice for anything QR Code related. Never use a QR code that you cannot be absolutely sure is genuine." While a fifth chimed in: "That's why it's better if they stick to cash!" It's not the first time that similar schemes have been discovered across the UK. In June last year, another QR parking scam was discovered in Aberdeen. And Charity Action Fraud revealed it had investigated 1,200 cashless parking scams between 2020 and January 2024.
