Chance to have your say
Residents of the Strath and beyond have been urged to make their voices heard over future development and land use in the region.
Throughout 2023, Perth and Kinross Council is undertaking an engagement exercise to inform decisions about the future of places that people live, work and spend time in within the local authority area.
Called the‘Big Place Conversation’, a spokesperson for PKC said this is an opportunity for people to have their say on what a new Local Development Plan will look like.
The initiative will look at towns, villages, neighbourhoods and rural communities and set out what housing is needed and where.
It will also look at other land-based matters, including connecting people to nature and transport, as well as considering how our places need to respond to a changing climate.
Community groups are also being encouraged to have“conversations” about the places important to them so that they can develop their own ‘Local Place Plans’or feed into the new Local Development Plan.
The Big Place Conversation will also directly support what has been described as the forthcoming ‘Mobility Strategy’, which looks at how to meet people’s needs for getting around, and links in with the ‘Perth People Place’project, which is examining how sustainable methods of transport, such as cycling and walking, can be encouraged.
Councillor Andrew Parrott is convener of the local authority’s environment, infrastructure and economic development committee.
He said:“We want Perth and Kinross to go on being a great place for people to live in, work in and visit and we want Perth and Kinross to become a place that is ever more conscious of and committed to tackling the challenges of climate change.
“Consequently, we want our residents to play as full a part as possible in shaping that future development.
“The‘Big Place Conversation’lets communities have their say on what future development in their areas could look like.“
Having started with a drop in session on Wednesday, January 25, there are in-person conversation events, online conversations and targeted conversations with organisations and groups with particular needs or interests, as well as an online consultation.
The conversation will then move around the council area throughout 2023.
Throughout the year an online survey is available for those that can’t make it to an in-person conversation or drop-in event.
Help is also available for community groups that want to have their own conversation to tell the council their views or to potentially develop their own local plans.
Anyone who would like to know more should visit the PKC website or follow the council on Facebook.