Mixed views on new HighStreetbarriers

I am writing to say that I am wholeheartedly in favour of the spacing work on the High Street.

Once the wooden boxes are planted up with shrubs and plants it will look fantastic.

Why not get a local gardening group of volunteers to help with planting and maintenance?

That would be a great community venture, good for physical and mental health.

Laura Jarvis

Via email

You asked for opinions on the wooden barriers on the High Street.

Personally, I think they are extremely ugly and certainly do nothing to enhance the town .

On passing by on Sunday they were also surrounded by litter, specifically outside Sainsbury’s, which clearly didn’t help.

They have made it a no-go zone for cars which must be affecting the local shop footfall.

Between those barriers, reduced parking and automated pedestrian crossings causing great congestion and increased pollution, it’s as if Perth and Kinross Council doesn’t want any cars in town.

All at a time we are being urged not to use public transport. Not everyone has the ability to scoot, cycle or walk to town.

It would also appear that you don’t get COVID from parking ticket machines, only pedestrian crossings. M Lamont

Via email

Days after the Spaces for People project arrived at the top of High Street, my husband and I came round the corner from Scott Street into High Street and stopped in our tracks.

We can only describe it as like a farmyard with tattie boxes spread all over the place - they are hideous (painted or not painted) and do not enhance this area or in any other street area of the town.

A sheer and utter waste of good money, not high on the priority list as many other things are.

Business owners in this area have every right to protest as these areas will only attract groups of people who will no doubt help to put more litter on the street. Social distancing will not be adhered to.

My message to the council would be to get rid immediately, or else run the risk of more empty shops etc in the High Street.

Name and address supplied

In a word - disgrace.

I have to assume that this is not the finished product.

However, speaking to many of the shopkeepers, no one knows what the finished product is going to look like.

They claim they have not been consulted properly, not seen plans and only asked once for their thoughts.

We now have city status but our council officials and councillors have to remember that we are not like Birmingham or other large cities.

We are a country city and the shops rely on the surrounding villages to come into Perth to shop and this must be borne in mind when deciding on North and South Methven Street projects as the local shops have made well known their objection to the original proposed plans.

It appears as if the council is being offered millions of pounds to make pedestrian and cycle ways and are bent on carrying this out no matter the cost to local people and businesses.

If they wish to make Perth city centre a traffic free zone then I think the centre will die a slow death.

Name and address supplied

I think they are the ugliest things.

Just more wasted money. Brenda Leith

Via email

My only strong opinion is that it is far too premature to judge this and it’s slack journalism to not have understood that.

Not only have people not started to get used to it yet, but the council hasn’t even put in the plants yet and people are still driving down it.

Personally, I predict that it could in time, become a really nice social street, with life about it.

However, we really need to wait until the trial has had time to settle in, which will take a couple of months at the earliest.

This morning I met with someone from another household for a business meeting and, because we were able to sit outside in the sunshine, we felt COVID-comfortable in choosing to drink a delicious coffee from the Little Bird Cafe.

Roger Humphry

Errol

Further to your article, I am writing to say that theses structures are an eyesore, not aesthetically pleasing at all.

Too many in a short space and will never be used other than to stop traffic in and around this end of the city, which is the goal of this project.

I suspect businesses in the area are none too pleased and likely were not consulted either.

The money was for active travel and right now I suspect folks will not be keen to use public transport as planned for.

Fiona Easton Via email