Perth and Kinross Council has bowed to pressure and agreed to reopen the top of Perth High Street to traffic and remove street furniture it installed outside shops against the wishes of the majority of businesses in the area.
Shopkeepers started a spirited campaign calling on officials to reopen the road and get rid of the furniture after some businesses reported their takings falling as much as 80 per cent when the closure came into effect.
Council officials claimed the closure and the added wooden structures would aid social distancing and prevent the spread of COVID-19 but critics claimed the structures resembled “tattie boxes” and discouraged shoppers from entering the area.
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An online petition organised by Mobile Solutions manager Imran Javed requesting PKC review the road layout drew over 700 signatures and it’s understood hundreds more people have signed a paper petition doing the rounds as well.
The online petition said: “Local shopkeepers are seriously concerned about the impact of these measures on our High Street businesses which are still trying to recover from the lockdown.
“We would request that these [structures] be removed ... and then consultation meetings be called with the local businesses to listen to their concerns ... [and] find a viable solution [to prevent] the spread of COVID-19.”
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One signee said of the wooden structures: “They are a waste of money. [The] only premises that require outside seating are pubs and restaurants. [They] are preventing traffic parking in the town centre and driving away business.”
Another signee said of the structures: “ Perth centre now looks as if fly tippers have dumped all their odd bits of wood. What a shambles. Certainly nothing to attract visitors now.”
Now PKC has said it will remove the structures and reopen the road to drivers once its officials have spoken to shopkeepers affected by the changes.
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A spokesperson said: “The council’s main objective through the ‘Spaces for People` initiative has been to make Perth and Kinross safe for pedestrians to move around, while maintaining physical distancing to protect each other from COVID-19.
“We are also committed to supporting businesses by providing safe outdoor areas for customer seating, and many businesses have reported this has really benefitted them during these difficult times.
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“We have been engaging with businesses in Perth High Street about their concerns over some of the changes we introduced.
“In response to their concerns, and after a reassessment of safety measures, we are reintroducing vehicle access and some parking in Perth High Street, whilst introducing alternative traffic calming measures, with outdoor spaces for businesses which request this.
“Designs of these alterations will be shared with businesses before we make the changes and, once agreed, this work will be carried out as quickly as we can whilst maintaining public safety.”
