We’rein thedark onlights

Perth and Kinross Council finance chiefs have claimed to be in the dark about how much they actually spent on new lights adorning their revamped chambers at 2 High Street.

The PA has learned a Mr Stephen Braid asked council bosses back in October how many new lights had been fitted to the exterior of the building during its recent makeover and how much had been spent on them through a Freedom of Information (FoI) request.

In response to his request a council FoI officer said 91 new lights had been fitted to the building but then said information on the “final cost” of all the lights “is not yet held by the council.”

The officer went on: “However, our Property Division have advised that the budget for this project was £130,000, and that they understand that total expenditure to date is in the region of £110,000 (£71,000 excluding VAT for fittings only, with 91 fittings; approximately £110,000 including scaffolding and other costs).”

The officer added: “Information on the exact cost will be held in the future, and you are course welcome to submit a further FoI request.

“Hopefully, this information will be available at the beginning of next year.”

Elected members approved the local authority’s latest bright idea, the controversial Perth Action Lighting Plan, back in June last year.

It identified six “key areas” in Perth where it was suggested new decorative lighting could “generate interest in, and use of, the city at night” to “grow the city’s evening and night time economy”.

These six “priority projects” involved the lighting up of: •Kinnoull Hill/Tower; •2 High Street; •1-5 High Street; •Tay Street including St Matthew’s Church, Perth Sheriff Court and the Fergusson Gallery;

•Broxden and Inveralmond roundabouts;

•Mill Street Cultural Quarter/Broxden Park and Ride/South Inch car park.

The paper said the council had agreed to set aside £100,000 to support the plan back in February 2016 and that this sum would be used to progress “one of the projects” ie 2 High Street.

It is unclear why the council’s FoI officer told Mr Braid the budget for 2 High Street was £130,000.