A petition urging Perth and Kinross Council to introduce two hours' free parking in Perth city centre to boost footfall has gathered around 900 signatures. The petition was launched by city centre shopkeeper Victoria Ritchie, who described the decline of Perth city centre businesses as “truly heartbreaking”.
Shopkeeper's call for level playing field
Victoria, who runs the long-established Highland Health Store on St John Street, said the cost of parking was a “major deterrent” and called for independent shops to be on a “level playing field” with larger stores and retail parks that offer free parking for two hours.
She said: “As a city centre business owner, I witness daily the steady decline of businesses around us, and it’s truly heartbreaking. Local residents frequently express their frustration about the cost of parking, which seems to be a major deterrent against shopping in the city centre, choosing instead retail parks and supermarkets where parking is free.
“We are not just talking about visitors or holidaymakers who are willing to pay for parking; our concern is for the people living within our community – the ones we depend on, who genuinely want to support local businesses but find themselves financially constrained due to parking costs.”
Victoria added: “We believe that introducing two hours of free parking throughout Perth City Centre would create a level playing field, enabling local businesses to compete fairly against their larger counterparts.
“This adjustment wouldn’t merely benefit business owners; it would bolster the entire community, driving footfall back to the heart of the city where it belongs.
“Moreover, a policy of free parking for two hours would still maintain an income stream for the Enforcement and Parking Services Team.
“By allowing free parking for a limited period, we can strategically increase visits to the city centre without significantly compromising council revenue.
“We call on Perth and Kinross Council to take this crucial step forward and support our local economy.”
MSP backs free parking scheme
Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser has repeated his call for such a scheme to be launched. He said: “During the election, I campaigned on this issue and received a lot of positive support for it on the doorsteps.
“Critics may point to the parking charges, which admittedly are not high in comparison to Edinburgh or Glasgow, but this is not the point. Why would you pay an extra few pounds to park in town when you can park at retail parks for free?
“Little incentives such as two-hour free parking can help to bring people back into our historic retail centres and consequently support the small and large businesses that are the backbone of the local economy.
“Businesses are hard-pressed enough and need all the support they can get. I hope that the council will listen to their calls and implement two-hour free parking as soon as possible.”
Council response and review
A PKC spokesperson said: “We recognise the importance of ensuring Perth city centre remains an attractive, vibrant and accessible destination for residents, visitors and businesses, and we welcome the continued interest in how we can best support its future success.
“The council is already delivering a range of measures aimed at increasing footfall, enhancing the visitor experience and supporting local businesses.
“This includes a £200,000 investment to improve the appearance and environment of the city centre, alongside significant longer-term projects such as the new leisure centre at Thimblerow, which will complement major attractions including Perth Museum and strengthen the city’s appeal as a place to visit, shop and spend time.
“We are also committed to ensuring that parking remains affordable and accessible.
“All council car parks and on-street parking spaces offer the first 15 minutes free of charge, providing flexibility for short visits, collections and drop-offs.
“Earlier this year, parking charges at the city centre multi-storey car parks were reduced and brought into line with other long-stay council car parks, making parking more affordable while encouraging greater use of existing capacity.
“Following this decision a wider review of our parking strategy was begun which will report to the relevant council committee in the near future.”
Council leader Eric Drysdale announced the review would be taking place at the Wednesday, June 24 meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee. The Perth City Centre ward councillor told the committee: “There is intended to be a full review of car parking charges and arrangements, undertaken by the administration basically immediately after/probably during summer recess and into early autumn with a view to coming forward with proposals around that at some point, once we have reached a conclusion as to what is the best set of parking arrangements for the whole of Perth and Kinross.”
