The decision to have celebrity Peter Andre light up Perth for Christmas has been slammed by local traders.
The singer is expected to draw thousands to the city’s official festive party later this month and, according to council chiefs, could help pump millions of pounds into the local economy.
But the move is being criticised by business owners who believe the money spent bringing the star to Perth should have been better spent elsewhere.
One leading trader has already threatened to quit the city, claiming that making Peter Andre the star of the show is sending out the wrong message to the rest of the country.
Perth and Kinross Council ended weeks of speculation when it announced that Andre will lead a star-studded line-up at this year’s bash on November 22.
Disco supergroup Boney M will also perform at the Tay Street event, which will feature a fireworks show and festive procession through city centre streets.
The local authority has insisted that last year’s show, which starred TOWIE personality Mark Wright, helped generate £1.5 million for the Perth economy and drew 90,000 people into the main shopping precinct.
Peter Andre’s planned appearance has been broadly welcomed by Perthshire residents of all ages, not to mention his legion of supporters up and down the country.
But Kairen Ruse, owner of designer fashion firm Blues and Browns, said the event will actually lead to a downturn in trade for most local shops.
Ms Ruse, who has been trading from a store on South Street for more than a decade, claims that Andre’s headline slot could seriously damage Perth’s reputation.
“It’s the dumbing down of the city that I am really against,” she said. “Why could we not have someone involved in the Commonwealth or Olympic games? Someone like Eilidh Child, who has actually achieved something, rather than bringing in this vulgar character from England.”
She said that people coming to the event were unlikely to spend their money in local, independent shops.
“The show doesn’t get going until after the shops are closed. And even then, they will be spending their money on attractions and fairground rides.
“I feel like I’m ready to quit, unless the council starts showing more support to us local businesses. They need to start taking us seriously.”
Willie White, who runs Willows Coffee Shop and Restaurant in St John’s Place, said that a festive market, due to run on the High Street for nearly a month, will result in a drop in takings for local shops.
“I object to being told that last year’s event brought 90,000 people into the centre and put £1.5 million into the economy,” he said. “I’d like to know where the council got these figures from.”
In an online post, George Street retailer the Fussy Cow wrote: “90,000 possibly visited, but the spend within the centre is generally down due to the many free distractions.”
A local authority spokeswoman said the council makes “substantial investment” into the city centre to make it more attractive.
She said that, after last year’s event, the economic benefits continued for three weeks. “This helps demonstrate the impact of a one-day event on repeat visits to the city centre,” she said.
“It is unclear why having more people in the city would be a bad thing for local businesses,”
She added: “While the council can organise events which help attract people in to Perth city, we cannot control which shops those visitors choose to go into.”
The council has declined to say how much Peter Andre is being paid for his performance, although it is likely to be considerably more than the £7,000 fee given to Mark Wright last year.