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Perth Council Website criticised for being Perthcentric;
Perth and Kinross Council has been accused of attempting to erase Kinross from its official public image.
A redesigned council website headed www.perthshire.com has prompted a strongly worded attack from Kinross Community Council.
The new website seems designed to deny Kinross-shire’s very existence, says community council secretary Eileen Thomas.
As a result the council is seeking an early meeting with Kinross Community Council to discuss its concerns.
In the letter to council chief executive Bernadette Malone the community council claims that, in addition to being Perthcentric, the website is full of inaccuracies.
The website gives the impression that Perthshire and the area covered by Perth and Kinross Council are one and the same thing, says the letter.
This is misleading. Geographically, Perth and Kinross is made up of the former county of Kinross-shire and parts of the former county of Perthshire. But Kinross-shire has never been part of Perthshire.
There is no attempt to explain this on the website, which instead is littered with misleading information and statements which try to suggest that Kinross is in Perthshire.
When a user clicks on the question where is Perthshire? a map showing the outline of the Perth and Kinross unitary authority area appears, which angered the community council.
Other points which had annoyed it were the listing of Kinross as one of the key towns of Perthshire and the assertion Perthshire also hosts the T In The Park music festival.
Elsewhere a section on Kinross begins Kinross and Loch Leven’s location as the most southerly border of the region makes it first stop for many tourists visiting Perthshire.
The community council says that at a meeting held last year by Perth and Kinross Council on branding strategy, it was stressed there was no intention of changing the name of the council and the use of the Perthshire logo would be restricted to such things as marketing for commercial businesses.
Aside from the catalogue of inaccuracies and Perthcentric attitude displayed in the website, Kinross Community Council also considers the new website to be far too confusing and complicated to use, continues the letter.
It looks like a tourist board website instead of a tool for local residents to find out details about essential council services.
Kinross Community Council suggests that the redesigned Perth and Kinross Council website is an inappropriate use of the Perthshire brand.
Who made the decision to change the website name and content, and when was this decision made?
We would also remind you that there are supposed to be three elements of the brand, namely Perthshire, Perth City and Kinross-shire.
A spokesperson for Perth and Kinross Council responded, The council has received a letter from Kinross Community Council regarding the new community portal and will be arranging a meeting as soon as possible to discuss with them the issues they have raised.
This is a new site and we welcome constructive comments and suggestions from the local community to improve the site and content.
The council’s website address (www.pkc.gov.uk <http://www.pkc.gov.uk> ) has not changed and is used on all stationery and promotional materials.
An expanded range of information about the council can be accessed by visiting www.pkc.gov.uk <http://www.pkc.gov.uk> as well as through www.perthshire.com <http://www.perthshire.com>.
The new community portal also provides information for businesses and visitors and on other public.
The Courier April 2005
By Richard Burdge
