Perth has fallen too far behind others

Dear Editor The coverage given by local media to the fallout of the Perth2021 bid earlier this month was somewhat depressing.

Not only do we Perth and Kinross residents have to contend with our council -backed campaign having lost in the first round, which unfortunately appears to exemplify how far wide we were of the mark for this title; the Perthshire Advertiser then reveals that our ivory tower-dwelling council and heid anes still want to go ahead with the various programmes of transforming various buildings and lighting up our streets.

Granted, Perth has been in dire need of something to revitalise it, particularly as we’re looking decidedly parochial compared with Dundee - which is streets ahead - and Stirling. The question now arises as why it took so long for the powersthat-be to realise Perth was ailing.

Perth now stands at crossroads - the council tells us it is going ahead with £53 million of investments (seemingly a never-ending increase in funds being allocated here) - such as with Perth Museum and the former City Hall. The work will go ahead, as will the Perth lighting strategy to illuminate buildings.

But, also standing at the crossroads are places such as Dundee, Paisley, etc. Dundee is in upheaval, and now has thrown its hat into the ring for the European culture title. Paisley, meanwhile is the lone Scottish place still in the running for the UK city of culture title. Effectively, it is our country’s winner.

Whatever happens between now and 2021 and the immediate years that follow, Perth will remain a long way distant from being able to compete with those places. Few will want to make the journey here from outwith our area if there are better things to be found elsewhere.

In short, we are now proposing to do up our city for events which will no longer happen and an audience limited to just Perth and Kinross residents - or those who still have the stomach to come into the city and not head outside the area for entertainment.

The correspondent in the Perthshire View (Friday, July 21) was correct about the council’s Upas Tree, except the light has been taken by our competitors.

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