The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Perth City Centre
Perth city centre was rocked last year by the sudden closure of independent department store McEwens of Perth.
The business, which had traded from the same St John Street site since 1868, shut, with the loss of more than 100 jobs.
It prompted calls for change from many city centre traders, who felt not enough was being done to protect them and bring shoppers into the area.
Perth and Kinross Council responded by creating more parking bays and introducing business rates relief for struggling firms.
However, there are even bigger plans in the pipeline, with a radical £30 million revamp of Perth City Hall and the George Street museum and art gallery. Pontoons have been put in place as part of ambitious plans to establish water taxis and leisure cruises along the River Tay.
In recent weeks, the local authority struck a deal to pave the way for a massive shopping and cinema complex at a car park site in Thimblerow, on the edge of the High Street.
Major housing developments – including Scotland’s first brand new secondary school in more than 25 years – are planned for land at Bertha Park and Almond Valley. They will be supported by millions of pounds-worth of new roads.
The city centre ward covers the area from Perth Prison to the North Muirton Industrial Estate, including Bridgend, Gannochy and Kinnoull Hill.
Other notable landmarks and sites include Perth Concert Hall, the underconstruction Perth Theatre and St John’s Kirk, as well as the huge green space areas North and South Inch.
With nearly 16,000 residents, the ward accounts for around 34% of the city’s entire population. There is a higher percentage of working age people and a lower number of children.
Around 15% of the ward are income deprived and out of work, slightly more than the Scottish average (13%).