Calls have been made to see Perth’s “dirty jewel” developed as a vital link route to encourage active travel.
Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) says The Lade, which runs from Perth city centre to Almondbank, is currently “under-promoted and under-utilised.”
PKC has a £900,000 plan to revamp the Lade, with £300,000 coming from PKC and the remainder to be attracted through external funding.
The issue was discussed at a meeting of the environment and infrastructure committee last month.
The meeting was attended by Perth cyclist Felicity Graham who has now told the PA work should need to be done linking a certain section at Dunkeld Road where you have to walk on the pavement.
She said: “I think the Lade is a jewel - it’s a bit of a dirty jewel.”
“It’s one of the only green corridors through Perth and that’s why it needs to be made more of.”
The active mum-of-two thinks the path could be better signed and has “huge potential” to be made into a leisure route.
Felicity, who is mum to two boys aged 10 and 12, believes Perth families are very limited as to where they can walk if they want to stretch their legs, with walking along the River Tay the only option on their doorstep.
At the meeting on January 22, Councillor Willie Robertson suggested PKC takes a phased approach similar to what happened with the Loch Leven Heritage Trail.
A housing officer said the council was planning to do this and to work with communities the length of The Lade.
Cllr Willie Robertson also thought it was unfortunate the current path was only suitable for leisure cycling (children on bikes) and not “commuter cycling” as it was too narrow in sections.
Cllr Andrew Parrott thought if the path was made a cycle route then they may be able to attract funding for a cyclable crossing over the railway bridge linking Fairfield to Muirton.
He also thinks if the Lade was “turned into a street-front rather than a backyard” it would detract people from fly-tipping.
After the meeting, the Perth city centre councillor told the PA, he believes it could provide a route for those living on the western edge of Bertha Park to go alongside the redevelopment of Dunkeld Road, providing a cycle route to the eastern edge.
Cllr Grant Laing also suggested PKC approach supermarkets for funding after it was revealed council workers remove 14 trolleys every fortnight from The Lade. Cllr Angus Forbes said he was disappointed to see the state it was in on a recent committee visit to the site.
