Springfield Properties has signed an agreement detailing the allocation of over £28 million of developer contributions associated with its Bertha Park development in Perth.

The agreement identifies the contributions the developer needs to make to support the new community and its growing population with infrastructure and community facilities.

The masterplan for Bertha Park includes 3,000 new homes, 750 of which are affordable homes, 26 hectares of land dedicated to business use, a primary and a secondary school as well as the proposed Cross Tay Link Road (CTLR).

Springfield Properties’ contribution will see £14m spent on the delivery of new primary school facilities for the local community.

The homebuilder has also contributed a further 11 hectares for the £32m secondary school. The new secondary school will have a capacity for 1,100 pupils, generating around 200 jobs within the Bertha Park development. Perth and Kinross Council revealed plans for to the public earlier this week.

Another large chunk of £12.5m from the developer will be invested in the Cross Tay Link Road. Planned to ease congestion through Perth’s busy town centre the CTLR will reroute local traffic around the city to Scone.

Springfield has dedicated 26 hectares of land in the Bertha Park masterplan for mixed business use. Although specific businesses or companies have not been identified at this stage, the space has the potential to create 1,500 – 2,000 jobs.

Springfield Properties managing director, Innes Smith, is pleased the agreement is now in place.

He said: “The signing of the developer contribution agreement is a great step forward. It means we are less than a year away from building on site. We’ve now agreed with the council the amounts we will be contributing to the various projects and public services serving a growing community at Bertha Park.

“Our goal is to create a new village, with a thriving and active community. This agreement secures business opportunities, jobs and education within walking distance, making Bertha Park a place people will want to live and work.

“Along with Perth & Kinross Council, Springfield is helping to facilitate the delivery of new schools through these contributions, providing the latest educational tools and facilities to help teachers deliver an excellent education on the doorstep of children living at Bertha Park.

“By earmarking land and financial contributions, we can help the council make their vision of a beneficial Cross Tay Link Road a reality.

“The business area which we propose for Bertha Park will be a fantastic opportunity for local companies to expand and for entrepreneurs to get new businesses up and running.

“Bertha Park is an exciting opportunity for Springfield. The project has given us the chance to work in partnership with Perth and Kinross Council to create a new village for a vibrant community. Today we’ve essentially agreed a plan of action of things we can achieve together in the next few years.”

Over £1m from Springfield will be spent on road improvements, enhancing existing public transport services and establishing a community fund for the new residents.

Perth & Kinross Council enterprise & infrastructure committee convener, Councillor John Kellas, said: “We very much welcome the £28m of developer contributions for the Bertha Park development. Bertha Park will be built over the next 30 years, potentially creating more than 2,000 new jobs and sustaining hundreds more in the local area. The development will also provide new homes for every age and stage and meeting a wide range of needs including private, affordable and retirement accommodation. All homes are also being designed to be very energy efficient to make them even more affordable.

“Perth is a very attractive place to live and work. The city is one of the fastest growing places in Scotland. The Bertha Park development will ensure this expansion continues by not only providing everything a growing community needs including good quality housing and schools, but, also by creating business and leisure opportunities.

“The development will also improve the area’s infrastructure by providing new cycle paths and walking routes into the City of Perth as well as a new network of roads.”

Springfield will now commence the work outlined in the planning conditions and start building the first homes on-site in 2017.