The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Local authority in call for views on shaping the future
Perth and Kinross will come out of lockdown stronger than before thanks to the community effort of its residents, the council’s chief executive said.
Locals will play a key role in helping Perth and Kinross emerge stronger from the coronavirus crisis, according to Karen Reid.
The drastic changes to life this year have prompted the council to review how it runs many of its services, and chiefs want to hear from residents to know how they would like to see the fresh start go.
As the UK enters its eighth week of lockdown, the local authority boss said the “goodwill, generosity and positivity” of residents had shown them to be “true heroes” during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ms Reid said: “It’s already clear that we will not quickly be returning to the way things were before. At the council, we are starting to think about how we can provide services differently in the future and we will need your help with this.
“We will be carrying out a formal consultation to inform recovery and renewal, so please do take part and let us know how the outbreak has affected you, what has made it easier, and what still needs to change.
“In the meantime, if you would like to share your ideas for renewal and how we can work together so that everyone in Perth and Kinross can live life well.”
With glimmers of services which ran in the past beginning to show on a horizon of uncertainty, the council boss stressed those running the local authority don’t have all the answers.
However, having seen the resilient community efforts to look after vulnerable residents, fundraising for health and care services and widespread compliance with social distancing guidelines, Ms Reid says that Perth and Kinross residents will be among the best placed to come out of lockdown, when it is safe to do so.
She said everybody has something to offer, adding: “It is this attitude and mindset that makes me confident we will emerge from this crisis stronger than before.”
She added: “A specially set-up community welfare and resilience team, made up of more than 70 colleagues who would normally be working in other services, has dealt with more than 2,500 inquiries so far.”