Cash pledge on parks is ‘too low’
A Perth and Kinross councillor has suggested the SNP’s pledge to spend £60 million revamping every Scottish playpark is not enough.
A report on the council’s capital investment programme revealed £140,000 has initially been allocated to Perth and Kinross Council for this programme in 2021/22.
At a September 1 meeting of PKC’s strategic policy and resources committee, councillors were told further allocations were expected later in the year.
Conservative councillor Caroline Shiers said the SNP manifesto pledge of £60m to revamp every playpark across Scotland “seemed a bit on the low side given the number of play areas.”
An officer confirmed the initial £140,000 allocation was PKC’s share of £5 million with another £55 million to be shared out across councils.
The committee was told if allocated on the same basis PKC could potentially get a further £1.5 million but the details are still being ironed out.
PKC’s interim chief executive Barbara Renton said: “Conversations with COSLA have been very much focussed about looking at the weighting.
“At the moment the weighting across all council areas is generally the same.
“The discussion with COSLA has been about looking to reweight that to give more rural authorities slightly higher levels of funding - but that’s still up for discussion.”
Cllr Shiers said playparks were “hugely important resources to communities right across Perth and Kinross - rural and urban.”
The Blairgowrie and Glens councillor added: “This is a pledge the Scottish Government made in the pre-election period to upgrade every playpark with this £60 million - there was no way that was ever going to happen because we knew it wasn’t enough money.
“But already they are backtracking on it.”
She said it was “really disappointing” for communities to have this aspiration given to them if it is then pulled away from them.
She called for clarification about exactly how much funding PKC will get and if capacity will be built into that for officer time.
Conservative councillor Angus Forbes convenes the environment and infrastructure committee.
He said: “Over the term of this administration we have spent £745,000 on playparks.
He added: “It’s a huge sum of money but the extra money we are promised from the Scottish Government will go a long way for the people of Perth and Kinross.”
Cllr Forbes said he would push the Scottish Government through COSLA to ensure Perth and Kinross gets its “fair share” of the money “and that they do not backtrack on it.”
There was no way that was ever going to happen because we knew it wasn’t enough money