‘Waste will get local economy moving’
Dismay that disposal is centred in recoveryplan
A Highland Perthshire councillor is concerned the council’s economic recovery plan for the area “centres on how we deal with human waste.”
A report on Perth and Kinross Council’s economic recovery plan in response to COVID-19 was put before councillors at a virtual meeting last Thursday.
Following recent job losses at the likes of Pitlochry Festival Theatre and Pitlochry Hydro, Cllr Mike Williamson said he was “surprised” disposing of human waste was seen as the answer.
The proposal put before councillors as part of the draft economic recovery plan was to invest in waste and transport infrastructure by introducing the “aire” approach used in Europe. The report said this would “address the growing motorhome and campervan market and problems associated with rough camping.”
The report put before councillors proposed “investment in key car park sites for dedicated space and waste disposal,” potentially through extended provision around Perth and providing “additional facility at council car parks in Highland Perthshire”.
The SNP councillor for Highland Perthshire Mike Williamson told the PA: “I understand the desire to do it but what slightly irks me is it was in the economic recovery plan.
“After all the job losses in the area, I was a little surprised for the economic recovery plan for Highland Perthshire to be how we deal with human waste.”
Cllr Williamson raised the issue with PKC’s head of planning and development David Littlejohn at Thursday’s meeting. The SNP councillor expressed concern as to how they deal with the issue “without undermining existing caravan sites” in Highland Perthshire.
Mr Littlejohn explained: “There’s an issue with motorhomes that we felt that we can support and that’s the proposal we are setting out. These are ideas that have come from the business community and I want to work with them to make sure they are implementable and acceptable.”
PKC’s chief executive Karen Reid stressed the proposals were “purely suggestions” at this stage.
She said: “It is purely a suggestion at this time. We clearly need to do significantly more than what is outlined. It’s an iterative document.”
After the meeting, Cllr Mike Williamson told the PA he was worried about the impact it might have on local caravan sites, particularly in Pitlochry.
Pitlochry has two caravan parks and it is feared the introduction of such a scheme in one of the tourist town’s council-run car parks could be bad for business.
Jill Scougall from Milton of Fonab Caravan Park in Pitlochry said while she thought it was a “great idea” she would hope if
Fears have been raised that caravan sites like this one in Pitlochry could suffer if the council presses ahead with plans for human waste disposal facilities at certain council car parks
the council did decide to install them that they placed them strategically.
She told the PA: “It’s important that that they put them in places that are not going to impact on local businesses.”
Jill said their worry was if the council “put them in Pitlochry where we have two caravan
parks takes business away from us where we have to pay our rates.”
She urged the council to be “sympathetic” to local businesses and not to put the infrastructure in car parks which would be “detrimental to business.”