The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Project could deliver £500m economy boost
PERTH WEST: Infrastructure scheme ‘a game changer’
A massive infrastructure scheme proposed for Perth could generate around £500 million for the Tayside economy.
The sprawling Perth West project would see more than 3,000 houses built along with an eco-innovation park on land located off the A9 Perth to Stirling road. It has been labelled a potential “game changer” by its developers, the John Dewar Lamberkin Trust, but its funding is dependent on the success of the Tay Cities Deal.
The Trust says Perth will become a leader in the renewable and communications industries if the project becomes a reality.
Peter Brett Associates, consultants behind the project, claim Perth West will give Tayside’e economy a boost of £500m over 25 years and create 1,000 jobs.
Pete Wishart, MP for Perth and North Perthshire, said it will “enhance” the city.
Tayside’s economy would receive a £500 million boost from an ecoinnovation business park in Perth, developers claim.
The Perth West project proposes a new exit from the A9 into an “innovation highway” of electrical, heat and data infrastructure alongside office, industrial, retail, hotel, leisure space, an academic centre and mixed housing.
It will host a hydrogen refuelling station as well as test locations for selfdriving cars.
It has been claimed the project will provide around 1,000 jobs and its developers say it will contribute around £20m a year to Tayside’s economy for 25 years once it is completed.
The John Dewar Lamberkin Trust, which is behind the project, has offered up to £5m of matched funding through the Tay Cities Deal to support the necessary investment in the infrastructure to realise these goals.
Alexander Dewar, of the trust, said: “The Perth West development framework envisages how integrated energy, transport and data systems will work together. I believe this makes Perth West unique within Scotland, if not the UK, in terms of delivering a living lab to innovate city infrastructure to support the transition to a low carbon economy. The project has the potential to be a game changer by bridging the gap between policy and business and responds to strong market sector demand.”
Mr Dewar says Perth is “ideally located” to play host to such a development as the city’s population of 50,000 is expected to grow by 24% by 2037. The project’s developers say lowcarbon heat provision will be supplied by an on-site heat and power station, partfired with biomass.
Perth West also plans to develop a communications infrastructure, including a high-capacity fibre network, platform and hosting capacity for new energy, transport and data services, plus the potential for artificial intelligence and 5G wireless networks.
Perth West will be championed by the Scottish Cities Alliance at an investment event in Germany this week as an example of how the UK is driving original solutions to meet the needs of businesses.
Nick Skelton, of Peter Brett Associates, development consultants of Perth West, said: “Once fully up and running, Perth West will add an estimated £20 million per annum to Tayside’s economy.”
Pete Wishart, MP for Perth and North Perthshire, said: “This could be a transformative project. It is dependent on the Tay Cities Deal but I hope it comes to fruition as it will enhance the Perth city area.”
There will be further public consultation as the design process develops.
The project is dependent on the Tay Cities Deal but I hope it comes to fruition as it will enhance the Perth city area. PETE WISHART MP