Man ‘lost for words’ at resurfacing job on Perth’s Mill Street

'To replace the stone paving on Mill Street with Tarmac is beyond belief - stupidity even.'

By Kieran Webster

September 14 2023, 3:36pm

A man was left “lost for words” after seeing the state of Perth’s Mill Street after resurfacing work.

Ian Clark, from Blairgowrie, is angry at the condition of pavements on the street following works carried out by a utility company.

He believes the paving has been left in an “unacceptable” state and needs to be rectified.

Perth and Kinross Council confirmed it is a temporary measure and the street will return to its previous condition.

The 69-year-old told The Courier: “I’m usually pretty articulate, but this has left me lost for words.

The patchwork on Mill Street. Image: Kieran Webster/DC Thomson.

“To replace the stone paving on Mill Street with Tarmac is beyond belief – stupidity even.

“Digging up the pavement like that and just smashing through the brickwork like that? The world’s gone mad.

“The state it has been left in is absolutely ridiculous considering the money that has been spent on it.”

The Mill Street redevelopment was first discussed in 2014 by Perth and Kinross Council to bring a cultural quarter to the area.

Mill Street resurfacing ‘a mess’

The council spent around £1.5million on the development and in 2022 the quarter won the Great Street prize at the 2022 Urbanism Awards.

Ian believes more should have been done to ensure the street was left in a good condition

He added: “It’s up to Perth and Kinross Council to look after the street – that’s why we pay rates.

“I’ve no idea why they’ve done it like this, the responsibility is with the council to make sure the work was done properly.

Broken bricks near the patchwork — Some of the bricks have been damaged. Image: Kieran Webster/DC Thomson.

“There is cement residue all around the area and the stones have been hacked and broken – it’s a mess.

“The city centre is a bit run down at the moment, and the Mill Street project money was well spent, but it’s been butchered.”

A Perth and Kinross Council spokesperson said: “Works have recently been carried out by a utility company which required the road surface to be dug up in a number of locations.

“The work is not yet completed but in the interest of public safety the surface was repaved and once the works are completed the road will be returned to its original state.”