Members of the public were left raging when they were barred from entering the committee room at Perth and Kinross Council due to the sudden cancellation of a meeting they had hoped to attend.
Around two dozen furious citizens demanded a seat in the public gallery at 2 High Street, where a special meeting had been expected for the Perth and Kinross Integrated Joint Board (IJB) to discuss with David Strang his interim independent report on mental health services.
Four weeks ago, a date for the July meeting to hear from Mr Strang had been set and advertised on the council website. But on Friday afternoon, word was sent out this meeting had been downgraded to a briefing, to be held in private.
Jim Valentine, depute chief executive at Perth and Kinross Council, explained to those who pushed in regardless to take a seat, that due to “the fluidity of matters within NHS Tayside,” the chief officer of the board had decided it could not sit on Monday and the promised meeting would be rescheduled at a later date.
The four Perth and Kinross councillors who sit on the IJB called out their disgust. “This is not acceptable,” said Cllr Callum Purves.
And Cllr Xander McDade pronounced that a discussion and a majority vote from the IJB was required to cancel a meeting.
“I apologise for the inconvenience to those who have come along today, but this is not a public meeting, and the chief officer isn’t in a position to bring forward the report,” stated Mr Valentine, hoping to clear the room.
Susan Scott from PLUS Perth wanted to witness the meeting.
She said: “Unless you can come up with a good reason, we are not leaving. On June 26 this board agreed there would be a public meeting on this day. We turned up in good faith. We applaud the four councillors for coming along.”
Red faced and in some confusion, Jim Valentine and the board then walked out a side door to calls from the public of “not fit for purpose”, “disgraceful”, “absolutely shocking”, “outrage” and “hang your heads”.
The officials - the chief officer of the Perth and Kinross IJB, four representatives from NHS Tayside, representatives from public bodies and council staff - met hastily in the corridor and then Mr Valentine briefed the press on this highly unusual run of council proceedings.
The official line was there had been no agendas sent out, so there was no formal meeting to cancel.
To honour a previous commitment made by the board, a date for a meeting which the public could come to would be released soon.
Cllr Purves wrong footed the departing board by explaining he had booked an alternative venue and would ask David Strang to meet the public and councillors there.
Mr Strang, who had come to Perth specially to share his recommendations, went upstairs to the civic lounge and spoke to the public - mental health patients, carers, third sector bodies and those with an interest in how public money is spent - for over an hour.
