Help to keep asset in centre of Crieff
Plea to be considerate when using marquee
Members of a key Crieff group are appealing to those using a community asset in the heart of town to keep it clean so that it can stay in place a bit longer.
The marquee in James Square has been a well-used meeting and eating place since it was put in place by Crieff Succeeds to provide a safe shelter during the pandemic.
The covering, seating and tables have been supplied free of charge by local businessman Alastair Gourlay, who told the Herald he was more than happy to keep them in place as long his equipment wasn’t being abused.
Crieff Community Council chairman Harry Thomason explained: “Young ambassadors employed by Crieff Succeeds kept the area tidy.
“However, because there were no ambassadors tidying it up due to the BID ceasing, it had become very untidy.
“School kids used to go in the morning and clean it as well, but now they are all back at school the mess has been building up.
“A good Samaritan did tidy up the area after there was an outcry on social media about the mess that was building up, but we need something more permanent in place.”
The community council had hoped that Perth and Kinross Council could help to keep the area litter-free.
Mr Thomason continued: “I’m trying to see if we can get Perth and Kinross Council to clean it – even if it’s just once a day when the street sweeper is around.
“It’s not Alastair Gourlay’s responsibility to keep it clean. He has been more than generous in putting the marquee up for residents and visitors to use.
“There are three bins at the side of the marquee so it’s not hard for people to tidy up after themselves. strathearnherald.co.uk.
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“The marquee will probably be taken down in the winter time.”
Crieff Community Council treasurer Douglas Watters said it was excellent news that Mr Gourlay was happy to keep the marquee up.
He commented: “We are not asking [PKC] for a deep clean or anything spectacular just a general clean of litter.
“It’s right in the heart of the town centre and is well utilised.
“I was there for a meeting a couple of weeks ago. There were a lot of us there and a lot of the other tables were independently occupied as well, so it is a great asset.”
A spokesperson for Perth and Kinross Council said: “The marquee was erected in James Square by Crieff Succeeds to facilitate outdoor food and drink consumption by customers of local businesses during the earlier stages of the pandemic, and we requested that the organisation assisted in the clean up process in the interests of keeping Crieff tidy.
“Any litter/waste left when the marquee is removed will be cleaned up as we would normally do.”