Perthshire Chamber of Commerce Reaction to Perth and Kinross Council Budget Decisions

Reacting to the Perth and Kinross Council budget, Vicki Unite, Chief Executive of Perthshire Chamber of Commerce, said: 

"This was an incredibly challenging budget for the Council after continued pressure on local government funding over many years. 

“Scotland's higher tax environment and the cost-of-living crisis is also impacting consumers and businesses, including their ability to recruit in the face of a tightening labour market and skills shortages. 

“Growing our region’s economy is absolutely critical to generating the revenue that supports jobs, helps fund vital public services, and drives prosperity in our local communities.

“We welcome the decision by the Council to protect funding for the promotion of our town and city centres, maintain spending on local events, help farmers’ markets, and increase investment in rural enterprise and new commercial premises for businesses.

“We are pleased that the Council has backed the Chamber's call to extend the previously successful Adapt your Property grant scheme, which will help bring more empty buildings in our city and town centres back into use for business and other purposes.

“There are also positive measures in today’s agreed budget to enhance support for sustainable public transport, explore the potential for expanded community transport, and restrict car parking charge increases to below CPI inflation.  

“At the same time, there is no question that tough decisions have had to be made in other areas of Council spending that will inevitably have a negative impact on local communities.

“That’s why we must do everything we can to make Perth and the wider region more attractive for inward investment and seize the opportunity to capitalise on the potential of the new £27m Perth Museum to attract new visitors to our city and town centres.

“Our region has many strong independent businesses, and an above Scottish average track-record of creating new ventures. It is vital that the Council’s own internal transformation plan delivers more effective local planning and faster decision-making to support business growth.

“But it’s not all about decisions taken locally. We also need a better deal from the Scottish and UK Governments, which gives our region a fairer share of funding to grow our economy and tackle the challenges we face around poverty and social exclusion. 

“That makes it more important than ever for stakeholders in the Perth city region to come together to build a stronger collective voice to lobby government at national level and tell our story more effectively if we are to deliver on the vision to make Perth the most sustainable small city in Europe.”