A planning brief for a city centre development aimed at helping Perth in its bid to become Europe’s most sustainable small city has been approved.
Retaining 200 spaces in the city centre’s Thimblerow car park is no longer a council priority, according to the local authority.
This week councillors unanimously approved a brief that will “provide a showcase for low carbon living”.
A public consultation on the draft non-statutory planning brief ran from June 14 to July 26.
Perth and Kinross Council ’s strategic policy and resources committee met virtually on September 1 to approve the amended development brief.
The site is principally owned by PKC but there is privately owned land north of the electricity substation.
David Littlejohn, PKC’s head of planning and development, set out PKC’s vision for Thimblerow to the committee.
He said they would like the site set out “as an exemplar in low carbon living whilst retaining some short-stay parking for shoppers alongside a mobility hub”.
Mr Littlejohn said approving the planning brief as non-statutory guidance would allow the council to conclude negotiations with its preferred bidder.
If this was not possible - for whatever reason - councillors were asked to approve the site to be re-marketed with the objectives of the brief.
He said: “In either event members will have the opportunity to consider the finalised scheme and the terms of the development agreement.”
SNP Perth City Centre councillor Andrew Parrott welcomed the plans and asked about the number of homes, picking up on a reference to 62 residential units in the brief’s introduction. He asked how many retail units there might be.
Mr Littlejohn said: “The number of units is indicative. Our intention was always to make this a dense urban development creating that sense of community nestling around the public spaces.”
He said the numbers of retail units were not specific due to the retail market “rapidly changing” with an increasing number of vacant units in and around Perth city centre.
The head of planning and development said: “We are very clear we want to encourage active street frontage - we don’t want dead space at this top end of the High Street.
“Clearly across the road on the other side of the High Street there are shops and we want to encourage that. Whether it’s retail units and/or some community units we don’t know yet. We don’t want to be too prescriptive.”
A “delighted” convener Conservative councillor John Duff moved the report.
He said: “By setting a high benchmark on this largely council-owned site, we will positively contribute to the quality of life of its future residents, and to the city as a whole.
“The brief’s vision is to provide a high-quality development within the Conservation Area with a commitment to respect the site’s historic setting, and to protect trees, and enhance the Lade’s biodiversity.
He added: “This brief provides guidance for how development should deliver on these aspirations.’’
Liberal Democrat Perth City Centre councillor Peter Barrett said: “There is the potential to achieve something really special, something different and ambitious which fosters sustainability and creates a low carbon exemplar development.
“High quality buildings and public spaces which connect the city centre to the Dunkeld Road corridor and the Lade via the recently completed delightful square at St Paul’s.
“We should be thinking of the Lade with the ambition to create a green route inspired by New York’s sky walk not just as a better link to the retail park.”
