Cash sought for works at Perth woods

An SNP councillor has called for cash to be invested in works to tidy up a wooded area in Perth she reckons could become inaccessible if it is neglected for much longer.

Perth City South councillor Sheila McCole made the call for cash to clean up Buckie Braes this week after noting a report setting out how the council intends to spend this year’s capital budget failed to mention the walk in a section relating to its community greenspace programme.

The report was discussed at the local authority’s strategic policy and resources committee on Wednesday. At the meeting Cllr McCole expressed “dismay”the walk had been left out of the programme and went on to say work was“absolutely required”.

“Buckie Braes ... is a long-standing greenspace that is well used not only by residents in my ward over many generations but also by the wider population in Perth,” she said.

“However, in recent years, it’s evidently suffering from a lack of care and attention with fallen trees being left in situ and overgrowing flora encroaching into paths and open spaces.

“Essentially, it is growing in on itself and if left uncared for it will soon cease to be a safe and accessible place for the public and, while I appreciate the approach of letting nature take its course, a balance must be found that also ensures the viability of this much-loved greenspace site for current and future generations.”

Asked what plans the council had to carry out remedial works and what its long term strategy was to keep the site accessible, the council’s environment director, Barbara Renton, was unable to provide an answer because she had no information to hand at Wednesday’s meeting.

However she said the council’s head of environmental and consumer services, Willie Young, would respond to councillor McCole’s questions after the meeting.