The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Cunningham battles for High Street businesses
MSP says controversial £1m regeneration works are leading to shops losing thousands of pounds every week
MSP Roseanna Cunningham has taken up the fight to prevent Kinross businesses going under amid a controversial £1 million regeneration project.
The improvement plan was unanimously backed by councillors in January in the belief that it will bring economic benefit and return vibrancy to the town.
A section of Kinross High Street, from Mill Street to Montgomery Street, is now closed to traffic until late September as the work, which includes footpath widening, tree planting and the creation of a flexible space progresses.
The Courier revealed last week that several business owners insist they are facing a desperate fight to survive during the works.
Ms Cunningham, MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, spent time in Kinross last week speaking with traders and roads engineers about the extent and timescale of the roadworks.
“With a large part of Kinross High Street closed to traffic, local businesses are suffering,” she said.
“Folk understand that the work which is being carried out will be positive for the town but at the moment the roadworks are having a serious impact. A lot of the local businesses I spoke to report
I want to stress that the High Street remains open to pedestrians and the shops are most definitely open for business ROSEANNA CUNNINGHAM
that they are being badly hit as customers are avoiding the area and the current road closure is due to remain in place for the next five weeks with works to follow.”
Pamela Hunter, of award-winning butchers Hunters of Kinross, claimed she was worried customers would not know how to access the High Street.
She said: “Kinross High Street is still a thriving High Street. There are still businesses here but people won’t be able to get to them. We need to train people as our issue is do people know how to get to the High Street during these works?
“Customers will break their habits. Around 85% of our business is people that come from outwith the town centre.
“Now they can’t stop anywhere outside our shop. They’re going to get out of the habit and go elsewhere and before you know it they’ll be in a routine and we won’t be able to get them back again.”
Ms Cunningham added: “I spoke with the proprietor of one business who has been losing around £2,000 a month in takings and another told me that she is losing around £2,000 a week.
“I will be speaking with Perth and Kinross Council to see if there is any help available for the affected businesses.
“But I want to stress to people that the High Street remains open to pedestrians and the shops there are most definitely open for business.”
A Perth and Kinross Council spokesperson said: “We are undertaking essential environmental improvement works to encourage further private investment in the area.
“As with all works of this nature, it is inevitable that there will be some disruption throughout the upgrade and we apologise for the inconvenience that this causes in the short term.”