Vote on eyesore incentive policy
Councillors will be asked to approve a new rates relief scheme on Wednesday which is hoped to bring some of the most prominent empty buildings in the area back into use.
Members of Perth and Kinross Council’s strategic policy and resources committee will vote on the initiative this week to hopefully put use to some crumbling relics.
Councillor Ian Campbell, leader of the council, said:“Once again the Scottish Conservatives are taking the lead in trying to help bring new business to Perth and Kinross.
“The only way we can build business, jobs and skills is to be bold. Empty buildings don’t do anyone any good. They don’t contribute to the economy, and they have a negative impact on the surrounding streetscape, so it’s in the best interests of the whole area for the council to offer support to help new and growing businesses make use of these buildings.
“We will now be offering those owners who have‘eyesore’ buildings an incentive to get them back into use.“
The new scheme will offer 100 per cent rates relief for one year from the date of entry to the building.
This would be targeted at businesses which would mean the re-use of key eyesore vacant properties in Perth and the surrounding towns.
Priorities for assistance will be on projects which would retain and support new growing businesses which improve or extend the existing retail and leisure market of the area.
Cllr Campbell, who sat on the strategic policy and resources committee during his first term as a councillor, added:“The existing Vacant Property Initiative does a An empty High Street unit great job in helping the private owners of rundown empty buildings get them ready to be used once again. This new rates relief scheme would allow us to take that a step further by offering businesses an incentive to choose one of the prominent empty buildings across Perth and Kinross as their new home.”