Angry Clyde hit out at Perth and Kinross council planners

PERTH and Kinross Council came under fire from one of Scotland’s leading estate agencies after it was accused of “wrecking” plans by Clyde to open its latest branch in the city.

Clyde have branded the decision to refuse planning permission for a new branch in Perth as “disgraceful and truly unbelievable.”

In a stinging attack on the local authority, Clyde managing director Gary Thomson accused the council of preventing the company from bringing new employment to the city.

Clyde wished to open its newest branch at 26 George Street which, although actively marketed, has lain empty for two years.

The company chose Perth over other locations in Scotland because of the “vibrancy of the city,” the wide variety of property styles and the excellent business opportunities available. No structural changes to the premises would have been needed to create the new Clyde branch.

Mr Thomson said: “We are dismayed and very, very angry at the way we have been treated by Perth and Kinross Council. It is beyond belief that the council will not grant us planning consent to open our newest branch in the city centre.

“We wish to bring jobs to Perth and, in addition, a unique concept in property marketing and sales – giving Perthshire residents a greatly improved service in residential property sales, seven days a week.

“We have worked closely with Perth and Kinross planning officials, our planning consultants and property owner Ian Philp – and complied with everything the council have requested.

"We had undertaken to restore the premises in George Street and were committed to creating job opportunities for local people.”

Clyde has a long-established policy of employing staff from the local areas as it has done previously in Bearsden, Glasgow West End, Glasgow South Side, Stirling, Hamilton and most recently in Ayr.

The company employs over 160 personnel and has been in operation for over 20 years.

Mr Thomson added: “Perth and the surrounding area is the ideal location as it links directly with our successful Stirling operation. However, we find the decision of the local authority utterly inexplicable.

“Our impression is that they do not want companies like ourselves from outwith Perth and Kinross coming to the area offering employment.”

Clyde said it would have employed a minimum of 12 staff at its Perth branch and said the council’s decision will mean it will now be forced to look at other locations across Scotland. It added the company had received support from Perthshire Chamber of Commerce and Perth City Partnership in its attempt to open in the city.

A council spokesperson said yesterday: “The decision to refuse the application was made by the council's development control committee on April 12. The site is in an area zoned for primary business and retail use under the Perth Area Central Local Plan of 1997.

“This policy presumes against non-retail use and, while other uses such as offices and restaurants will be permitted, this will only be in cases that will not result in a row of three or more non-retail uses within that street block. In this case,the proposal would have resulted in a row of three non-retail uses.

“The objective of this policy is to ensure that the essential retail character of Perth's primary shopping streets is not eroded.”

This news story appeared in the Perthshire Advertiser on April 25th 2006. Perthshire needs new firms here to create jobs so why is it they are refused?