Blow to group as questions draw a blank

A community representative expressed disappointment after councillors admitted failing to investigate concerns his group raised with them over a month ago about the local authority’s planning department.

Dave Beattie of Bridgend, Gannochy and Kinnoull Community Council (BGKCC) made his remarks after three councillors currently representing the group’s area said they had not managed to get a single answer out of staff.

This was despite being asked to put a series of questions to them relating to a highly controversial traffic assessment.

The group had challenged all four Perth City Centre councillors to establish what role the local authority played in the preparation of the document after it was used to support two planning applications raised earlier this year to convert the former Murray Royal Hospital into flats as well as build new houses within its grounds.

The challenge came after the consultants who completed the assessment, Arup, claimed PKC directed the way its staff worked out what the average queue lengths on streets like Lochie Brae and Main Street would be once people had moved into the proposed development.

The community council said in a letter sent to all four ward councillors on October 11, Arup’s projections that queues in the area would only consist of a dozen or so cars once the scheme was occupied were “totally unrealistic” and asked them to find out among other things, whether its claim about PKC was true.

However when the subject was raised at the group’s latest meeting last Thursday, not one of the three elected members who were present was able to answer that question or any others the group had asked.

This prompted Mr Beattie to remark it seemed to him like they were attempting to shrug off the group’s concerns.

“We really need to establish whether Arup has misrepresented PKC or whether we are looking at something much more serious,” he said.

Councillor Eric Drysdale said he could not comment on planning applications as he was a member of the council’s planning committee.

Councillor Peter Barrett did provide a summary of events leading up to the same committee opting to put off considering the two applications last month, but did not answer any of the questions raised by BGKCC in its letter.

“Is someone going to answer these questions or are we going to kid on we never received the letter?” asked Mr Beattie, adding: “I’m disappointed that you don’t feel it’s an issue that’s worth pursuing.”

Councillor Chris Ahern protested that he hadn’t said the matter wasn’t worth pursuing but Mr Beattie went on: “I don’t hear any responses. What I’m hearing is that councillors are not prepared to act on our behalf.”

Councillor Barrett took issue with that statement saying he did not feel it was a “fair analysis” of the situation.

He said he had asked officers the questions the community council had come up with but he had not received a response to date.

It was said at the end of the discussion that members would continue to ask councillors for answers to their questions at future meetings.