Perth: Expanding horizons for the Fair City

With its excellent transport and broadband connections Perth has plenty to shout about. Picture: Craig Stephen

When you think of Perth, what springs to mind? A twee town on the Tay? It might be time to think again, as Scotland’s newest city is intent on putting itself on the map. Making the most of its central position, with easy access to both the Highlands and the Central Belt, excellent transport and broadband connections, an educated workforce and sophisticated culture and leisure facilities, Perth has plenty to shout about.

A year on from having city status restored as part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, Perth is already taking up the opportunities offered by membership of the Scottish Cities Alliance (SCA) to collaborate with the six other cities to drive up investment into Scotland.

Membership of the SCA has been particularly useful in accessing research and expertise to help us position ourselves effectively. We knew that tourism was a big player in our local economy, and sectoral asset mapping research commissioned by the SCA has also shown that, at 3.2 per cent, we have one of the highest percentages of employment in food and drink of any city region in Scotland and the second highest percentage of businesses employed in that sector.

Perth Theatre is set to undergo extensive redevelopment

Knowing that this is one of our areas of strength has helped us to focus resources on persuading food and drink businesses that Perth is the place to be.

A year-round destination

In addition to restructuring the council’s regeneration team to include dedicated officers for tourism, food and drink, clean technologies and digital technologies projects, a dedicated events officer has also been appointed to develop and promote Perth and the wider region as a year-round destination for the best in cultural, sports and leisure activities.

A new marketing campaign has also now been launched to highlight and sell the city’s assets. Part of this drive will see us creating and marketing premises and serviced land to the north and south of the city, where we hope to create a cluster of food and drink companies.

In many ways, the sector is an ideal fit for the area: Perthshire is renowned for its natural produce, including berries and wild salmon.

Access to the research expertise at the James Hutton Institute’s Carse of Gowrie facility also adds to the area’s locational advantages.

The selling point for many enterprises choosing to locate here has, of course, always been the lifestyle on offer: it has all the benefits of a highly connected, dynamic city combined with fantastic scenery, access to outdoor leisure and great schools.

Attending SiteMatch Scotland – an event which showcased Scottish locations to London-based investors – we were struck by the number of people who felt that Perthshire’s stunning natural environment was a real selling point.

Our local business community was highly supportive of the campaign for city status and continues to be involved in shaping the city’s development.

And in June, Perth & Kinross Council approved the setting up of a City Development Board, consisting of senior leaders from private and public sectors, which will both oversee the implementation of our City Plan and champion the city to potential investors.

Stephen Leckie, chief executive of Crieff Hydro and president of the Perthshire Chamber of Commerce, said to me: “I meet a lot of business people from Perthshire. Whether they are in town or the outlying areas, there isn’t a single one of them who doesn’t support the council’s idea of raising the city’s profile.

“Having a vibrant heart to the region that we all want to shout about is good for existing businesses and those thinking about setting up here. A first-class city is a beacon for the central location, great workforce and lifestyle benefits that I consider unsurpassed in Scotland.”

Invest in Perth

At Perth & Kinross Council we have made the most of our local advocates, developing the Invest in Perth website (www.investinperth.co.uk) which provides all the information potential investors might need to help them make a decision to locate in the area.

We use case studies and recommendations from business leaders who have already made that choice. And there are exciting developments on the horizon, with a high profile series of events planned.

Meanwhile Perth Theatre is also set to undergo extensive redevelopment, strengthening the city’s reputation as one of the top cultural destinations in Scotland.

One business owner summed it up for me when he said that his reasons for moving to Perth were access to a quality workforce, a quality transport network and, vitally, a fantastic quality of life. I’m proud to be part of the team that is helping to show the world what Perth has to offer.

• David Littlejohn is head of planning and regeneration at Perth & Kinross Council

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