Councillor Grant Laing, said: “Perth has once again been set aside by the UK Government which seems determined to ignore all that our city has to offer. After finally being awarded funds as part of the UK Levelling Up Fund, at literally the last gasp, the incoming Labour government quickly put our hopes on hold. 

“I appreciate that the UK Government is facing financial difficulties, it’s a problem that we share. But, it feels like Perth has felt the lion’s share of this impact because it took so long for us to be recognised as deserving of funding in the first place. 

“Despite providing shovel-ready projects which would demonstrably have had a beneficial impact on the city centre, the rug has been pulled out from under us and once again Perth has been left without investment while every other Scottish local authority with a city benefitted from Levelling Up Fund support.”

He added: “We remain committed to continuing to promote Perth and Kinross and all that it has to offer to all possible funding sources, whether that be public sector or private investors. And, as a council, we will continue to use the limited funding we have available to deliver on local priorities for the benefit of residents and businesses.”   

The three projects identified for funding were:  

• Lower City Mills - visitor attraction and office space 
• Former Ironworks, South St John’s Place - exhibition and UNESCO City of Crafts makers and retail space 
• A Taste of Perth and Kinross - High Street micro-producers outlet.