Hundreds of people have signed a petition calling on council bosses to abandon a £12 million plan to light up Perth.
Councillors will this week consider the City of Light Action Plan, an ambitious project to illuminate landmarks and make streets more attractive with colourful lights and projected patterns.
Perth and Kinross Council believe the scheme will help bring more people into the area and boost the bid for 2021 City of Culture status. It is also aimed at improving safety and reinvigorating Perth’s flagging nightlife.
But the ambitious proposal was greeted with a mixed response. While some welcomed the lighting plan, others have argued that the money would be better spent elsewhere.
Perth pub worker Sammi Smith set up an online petition against the scheme and raised nearly 1,000 signatures in just three days.
She said: “I find this absurd and the reason why is simple: Perth is on its knees”.
The 25-year-old said the council needed to focus on regeneration of long-standing vacant buildings like City Hall. “St Paul’s Church has been closed for longer than I’ve been alive and that is frankly an embarrassment and an eyesore to the city,” she said.
“Don’t even get me started on parking and the unfortunate suffering it has caused independent businesses on South Street and St John Street, as well as many more.
“Lights are not going to fix these problems.”
The scheme will go before members of the council’s enterprise and infrastructure committee on Wednesday.
Convenor John Kellas said: “To say that we are considering spending £12million just putting up lights in the city centre is misleading. This project goes much further than that and will provide real benefits and improve safety right across the region.”
He added: “What is important to remember is that this money is not being spent at the expense of other services. People are claiming this £12million would be better going towards other things. But you have to remember, this lights plan will not prevent the council spending elsewhere.”
Councillors will this week be asked to approve funding of £100,000 for the first phase of the scheme.
The design has been drawn up by Lightfolio, the same team which worked on the world famous Kelpies at Falkirk. If approved, the local authority will put the construction work out to tender.
