A plan to build 250 houses at the site of Perth Leisure Pool and Dewars Centre materialised with no communication records between council heads, the local authority has claimed.
As part of the controversial PH2O Thimblerow masterplan that emerged last year, Perth and Kinross Council put forward proposals for hundreds of affordable homes on the Glover Street site.
The report, signed off on August 28, included the houses as part of the then ÂŁ61m new leisure centre project and was written by the council’s strategic lead for property services Stephen Crawford.
Now the local authority claim that no communication records are held between Mr Crawford and chief executive Thomas Glen discussing the addition of houses at Glover Street from August 2024 to May 13 this year.
In that time, the report was finalised, presented to councillors on September 4, and changed at the behest of elected members to only include 150 homes.
The entire scheme also fell foul of an incredible public backlash, with multiple campaigns and petitions, signed by thousands, against it.
In addition, the local authority says even if it did hold those communication records, they would not be shared.
In response to The Courier’s Freedom of Information (FOI) request, we were told the information was not in the public interest to the degree that it outweighed any of the council’s confidential commercial interests.
The Courier has appealed the decision.
Perth and Kinross Council rapped by watchdog
On Monday, The Courier revealed Perth and Kinross Council had been rapped by The Scottish Information Commissioner over another “no records” claim.
The local authority insisted on multiple occasions that no communications were held between the executive team, including Mr Glen, regarding the axing of a ÂŁ128k-a-year director role.
Alison Williams departed council after just six months in the job.
The council said all decisions were made during unrecorded verbal meetings with the chief executive.
The Commissioner raised multiple concerns over how the council handled the FOI request, compelling staff to search again and hand any found information to The Courier.
On Tuesday, The Courier revealed that claims of “ulterior motives” were levelled over the ÂŁ10m purchase of Pullar House, a council staff building.
The purchase was rushed through with just hours to spare on a 2pm deadline.
The proposal to buy Pullar House formed part of the same August report and September 4 council meeting as the PH2O project and the plan to build 250 homes at Glover Street.
Conversation