We Asked, You Said, We Did

We asked for your views on local housing need in Perth and Kinross as we begin the process of producing a new Local Housing Strategy for 2022-27.

An overview of the responses, as well as the full detailed results, are available in the results section of the consultation.

All of the responses gathered will be analysed and will help to inform the creation of a new Local Housing Strategy for the next five years.

Whether you are satisfied with the proposed changes o the Loch Leven Special Protection Area and Ramsar Site Guidance. 

Responses from statutory agencies were of a technical nature. There were no responses from the general public.

The suggested corrections have been adopted into the draft guidance. Following consultation further minor technical changes have been included. These changes will be consulted on again before the final adoption of the guidance.  Please continue to use the adopted guidance in the meantime.

We asked all 7,760 of our tenant households to choose from three rent level increase options for 2022/23. The three options we put forward were based on what tenants told us their investment priorities were during engagement with them throughout the previous 12 months.

Our Rent Level voting form sent to all tenants explained what investment in Housing Services would be possible under all three of the options: 

• A 3% increase
• A 3.5% increase
• A 4% increase

A total of 2,177 tenants responded to the consultation – almost 30% of our tenants. This was the biggest ever response to our annual rent level survey, and compares to 1,282 responses last year.

Over half of tenants said they preferred the option of a 3% increase: 

• A 3% increase (54% of tenants chose this)
• A 3.5% increase (29%)
• A 4% increase (17%)

A report went to Housing and Commuinities Committee on January 24th 2022 recommending a 3% increase in rent levels for 2022/23, in line with the views of tenants, 

This was approved by elected members on the committee.

The 3% increase will allow us to make new and increased investment in:

• Resources to help us achieve a net-zero carbon emissions housing stock (£133,000).
• Our Tenancy Sustainment Fund, which supports tenants who are suffering financial hardship and struggling to pay their rent. This will rise by £50,000 to £200,000. 
• Buying back ex-Council properties to increase our housing stock. An additional £15 million will be invested over the next over five years.
• Covering increasing costs of buying stock for repairs and improvements (£220,000). 
• Electrical Inspection Condition Reports (EICR). We are now legally required to ensure all tenants’ homes have an EICR to confirm they meet electrical standards. We must test all of our properties every 5 years which will involve additional costs of £185,000.

Elected members also decided to invest an additional £38,000 in preventing and tackling anti-social behaviour.

The rent increase takes effect on Monday 4th April 2022. 

For comments and suggestions on the guidance and in particular on the enhancement requirements for new development that have been set out.

A number of good suggestions were made, particularly around the strength of wording and in the context of the climate and biodiversity crises and the implementation of a biodiversity net gain approach.

Your comments were taken on board and where relevant incorporated into the guidance which was adopted in April 2022. The final adopted guidance is available here.  A full account of comments and actions taken is available under results.

We asked for your views on Short Breaks and if you were entitled, how you would like these provided.

That it was important that Short Breaks were delivered flexibly.  You also told us that weekend overnight care, away from home was your preferred pattern for a Short Break.

Your responses have been shared with the Improvement Officers and Project Team who are reviewing the Short Break services. Once the review is complete we will share more information.

We consulted on this draft non-statutory guidance to allow key stakeholders including the public the opportunity to help shape the Development Brief. 

The consultation ran for 6 weeks from 14 June to 26 July 2021. Your comments were valuable and have been used to shape the final version of the guidance.

Following this consultation, responses were analysed to inform revised guidance which was adopted at the Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources 1^st September committee. There were 27 responses to the consultation, 21 of which were from members of the public, including a mixture of supportive comments and concerns. We prepared a report when preparing and finalising the guidance.

We asked you what your priorities were for spending your rent money on Housing Services for 2022/23

What you told us about your priorities for Housing Services was included in this presentation which was given to the Summer Tenant Conference on June 17th 2021. 

We will use the feedback you gave us to formulate rent level options for 2022/23 that will enable us to deliver on your spending priorities.

Each tenant will be given the opportunity to vote on these options later this year.

Thank you to every tenant who took part in the consultation. 

The views of parents/carers and the wider community who will be impacted as a result of the formation of a new catchment area for the new school at Bertha Park and the future of Ruthvenfield Primary School.

The views of the following groups were considered;

• Parents/carers of all children living within the Ruthvenfield Primary School catchment area;
• Parents/carers of those pupils attending Ruthvenfield Primary School as placing requests;
• The wider community living in the Ruthvenfield Primary School catchment area; and
• Parents/carers of all children living in the Tulloch Primary School and Luncarty Primary School catchment areas who would be impacted by the new catchments proposed in the options.

The options that were considered were as follows;

Option A

A new primary school will be built on a site adjacent to Bertha Park High School and a catchment area created for the new school. Ruthvenfield Primary School will continue to operate from its existing building with new catchment area created and the condition improved.

Option B

A new primary school will be built on a site adjacent to Bertha Park High School. This school will replace Ruthvenfield Primary School and pupils attending Ruthvenfield Primary School will be educated in the new building when it opens. The capacity of the new school will be larger as it will also accommodate pupils from a wider catchment area including a large part of the major housebuilding sites in the area. The current Ruthvenfield Primary School building would close

There were 423 letters issued as part of the pre-consultation exercise. 40 responses were received, 34 from the Ruthvenfield Primary School catchment area and 6 from the Tulloch Primary School catchment area. This is an overall response rate of 9%. The response rate from Ruthvenfield Primary School parents/carers is 45%.

The majority of responses received from respondents associated with Ruthvenfield Primary School catchment area, during the pre-consultation exercise, favoured Option A.

Summary of Ruthvenfield Primary School catchment area responses

On 25 August 2021 Lifelong Learning Committee considered the report Catchment for new primary school at Bertha Park and future of Ruthvenfield Primary School.

The decision of Lifelong Learning Committee was as follows;

1. The outcome of the informal pre-consultation in respect of the catchment for the new Primary School at Bertha Park and future of Ruthvenfield Primary School be noted.
2. The expenditure pressure of an additional £1,150,000 per annum in revenue costs from 2026/27, which will come forward as part of the Councils Revenue Budget setting process based on the recommendation of the options appraisal be noted.
3. The recommendation of the options appraisal to proceed at this time with Option A, detailed in the options appraisal (Appendix A to Report 21/136); a new primary school will be built on a site adjacent to Bertha Park High School and a catchment area created for the new school. Ruthvenfield Primary School will continue to operate from its existing building with a new catchment area created and the condition of the building improved be approved.
4. It be agreed that the Executive Director (Education and Children’s Services) commences statutory consultation in respect of the establishment of the new school and new catchment areas as detailed in Option A in the options appraisal (Appendix A to Report 21/136) and associated changes as required by the Schools Consultation (Scotland) Act 2010.

We sought the views of parents/carers of any child/children currently attending primary school and/or children under the age of five living in the catchment areas identified as part of the catchment review.

A questionnaire was issued with the purpose of gathering views on the proposed catchment review and the implementation of nursery provision.

The committee report and appendix, which details the outcomes of the options appraisal, provide further information on the feedback received from parents/carers.

The committee report was presented to Lifelong Learning Committee on 26 May 2021 which recommended that the school capacity of 44 pupils would be retained along with the existing catchment area and no nursery provision would be included within Abernyte Primary School.

The committee decision was as follows;

1. It be noted that the school roll has risen recently and the projected school roll is due to rise again for session 2021/2022 at Abernyte Primary School. The school roll will be the highest it has been since 2010.
2. The capacity of 44 pupils at Abernyte Primary School would remain and a statutory consultation on a proposal to amend the catchment area for Abernyte Primary School to include the area currently within the Inchture Primary School catchment area north of the A90 within the catchment of Abernyte Primary School is to be undertaken;
3. It be noted that the introduction of nursery provision is not required at Abernyte Primary School at this time.

We asked for your feedback on the draft Food Growing Strategy to make sure that we are going in the right direction. We wanted to know whether we identified all the communities with demand for support and whether we selected the right actions to focus on.

We received over 50 comments to our online survey and 50 attendees took part in our online workshops we held in February. We are currently in the process of analysing the representations and identifying where we can improve the draft strategy.

In the coming months, we will finalise the Food Growing Strategy based on your comments and identify where we require additional resources to deliver the action plan. We will report our findings and the finalised strategy back to committee later in 2021.

Climate Change is having a significant and detrimental impact to our surrounding environment and nature. We must adapt our lifestyle and habits to see the benefits such as; an improvement in health, saving money on energy and carbon saving actions, and encouraging more biodiversity in our natural environment.

We asked what challenges you face in tackling Climate Change and how we can work together to become a climate resilient Perth and Kinross.

We received comments and feedback across all five phases of the engagement, as well as online sessions hosted by PKC and Climate Cafés across the region, to highlight the key areas which you feel should be prioritised and what actions and next steps we should take. The following were some of the feedback and suggestions from phase 5;

• Promotion of Green Tourism and supporting local businesses.
• Encourage supermarkets to reduce food packaging and to source food locally.
• More information and advice to be made available to businesses about waste management.
• Better use of recycling centre facilities - e.g. facility for people to have their items repaired and a shop or unit(s) to obtain refurbished or 'like new' items.

Along with the action points and next steps from the series of online sessions and Climate Cafés, the results of the engagement was presented to the Council in late summer 2021.The full analysis of the engagement process has contrinbuted towards the development of our Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan.

Our final Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan can be viewed on our dedicated Perth & Kinross Climate Action Website.

On the 15th of December 2021 Councillors unanimously backed the Draft Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, which sets out how Perth and Kinross will reach net zero carbon emissions by 2045. Our Draft Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan identifies eight thematic areas. Transport, Land Use, Energy & Buildings, Waste, Business & Industry, Resilience, Education and Engagement, and Governance.

The strategy also highlights how we will reduce the impact of climate change on communities and how residents and businesses are vital to creating a sustainable future. The Strategy is guided by the following principles:

1. Achieving Net Zero aligned with the Paris Agreement and Scottish Government targets by 2045, if not before
2. Building a more resilient Perth and Kinross
3. Ensuring climate change action is fair and the transition to a green economy benefits all
4. Enhancing biodiversity
5. Engaging young people and empowering them to take action against climate change
6. Empowering businesses and communities to take climate action in line with the Perth and Kinross Offer

The Strategy will be supported by the creation of a Perth and Kinross Climate Change Commission, which councillors approved earlier this year. This will bring together businesses, community groups, individuals and young people to scrutinise the strategy and support its implementation.

Climate Change is having a significant and detrimental impact to our surrounding environment and nature. We must adapt our lifestyle and habits to see the benefits such as; an improvement in health, saving money on energy and carbon saving actions, and encouraging more biodiversity in our natural environment.

We asked what challenges you face in tackling Climate Change and how we can work together to become a climate resilient Perth and Kinross.

We received comments and feedback across all five phases of the engagement, as well as online sessions hosted by PKC and Climate Cafés across the region, to highlight the key areas which you feel should be prioritised and what actions and next steps we should take. The following were some of the feedback and suggestions from phase 4;
 

• More segregated cycle paths and comprehensive routes.
• Improve the public transport services and connections in more rural areas.
• The introduction of more School Exclusion Zones.

Along with the action points and next steps from the series of online sessions and Climate Cafés, the results of the engagement was presented to the Council in late summer 2021.The full analysis of the engagement process has contrinbuted towards the development of our Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan.

Our final Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan can be viewed on our dedicated Perth & Kinross Climate Action Website.

On the 15th of December 2021 Councillors unanimously backed the Draft Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, which sets out how Perth and Kinross will reach net zero carbon emissions by 2045. Our Draft Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan identifies eight thematic areas. Transport, Land Use, Energy & Buildings, Waste, Business & Industry, Resilience, Education and Engagement, and Governance.

The strategy also highlights how we will reduce the impact of climate change on communities and how residents and businesses are vital to creating a sustainable future. The Strategy is guided by the following principles:

1. Achieving Net Zero aligned with the Paris Agreement and Scottish Government targets by 2045, if not before
2. Building a more resilient Perth and Kinross
3. Ensuring climate change action is fair and the transition to a green economy benefits all
4. Enhancing biodiversity
5. Engaging young people and empowering them to take action against climate change
6. Empowering businesses and communities to take climate action in line with the Perth and Kinross Offer

The Strategy will be supported by the creation of a Perth and Kinross Climate Change Commission, which councillors approved earlier this year. This will bring together businesses, community groups, individuals and young people to scrutinise the strategy and support its implementation.

Climate Change is having a significant and detrimental impact to our surrounding environment and nature. We must adapt our lifestyle and habits to see the benefits such as; an improvement in health, saving money on energy and carbon saving actions, and encouraging more biodiversity in our natural environment.

We asked what challenges you face in tackling Climate Change and how we can work together to become a climate resilient Perth and Kinross.

We received comments and feedback across all five phases of the engagement, as well as online sessions hosted by PKC and Climate Cafés across the region, to highlight the key areas which you feel should be prioritised and what actions and next steps we should take. The following were some of the feedback and suggestions from phase 1;

• Perth & Kinross Council should lead by example and set their own ambitious targets.
• Suggestion of a Citizen Panel to be established.
• More information and guidance is needed from the Council to help communities, businesses, and all other stakeholders with behavioural changes.

Along with the action points and next steps from the series of online sessions and Climate Cafés, the results of the engagement was presented to the Council in late summer 2021.The full analysis of the engagement process has contrinbuted towards the development of our Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan.

Our final Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan can be viewed on our dedicated Perth & Kinross Climate Action Website.

On the 15th of December 2021 Councillors unanimously backed the Draft Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, which sets out how Perth and Kinross will reach net zero carbon emissions by 2045. Our Draft Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan identifies eight thematic areas. Transport, Land Use, Energy & Buildings, Waste, Business & Industry, Resilience, Education and Engagement, and Governance.

The strategy also highlights how we will reduce the impact of climate change on communities and how residents and businesses are vital to creating a sustainable future. The Strategy is guided by the following principles:

1. Achieving Net Zero aligned with the Paris Agreement and Scottish Government targets by 2045, if not before
2. Building a more resilient Perth and Kinross
3. Ensuring climate change action is fair and the transition to a green economy benefits all
4. Enhancing biodiversity
5. Engaging young people and empowering them to take action against climate change
6. Empowering businesses and communities to take climate action in line with the Perth and Kinross Offer

The Strategy will be supported by the creation of a Perth and Kinross Climate Change Commission, which councillors approved earlier this year. This will bring together businesses, community groups, individuals and young people to scrutinise the strategy and support its implementation.

Climate Change is having a significant and detrimental impact to our surrounding environment and nature. We must adapt our lifestyle and habits to see the benefits such as; an improvement in health, saving money on energy and carbon saving actions, and encouraging more biodiversity in our natural environment.

We asked what challenges you face in tackling Climate Change and how we can work together to become a climate resilient Perth and Kinross.

We received comments and feedback across all five phases of the engagement, as well as online sessions hosted by PKC and Climate Cafés across the region, to highlight the key areas which you feel should be prioritised and what actions and next steps we should take. The following were some of the feedback and suggestions from phase 3;

• Suggestion of Integrated River Catchment Management.
• PKC should aim to reduce the use of fertilisers and pesticides.
• Challenges to more sustainable practices in Agriculture are mainly associated with costs and knowledge.

Along with the action points and next steps from the series of online sessions and Climate Cafés, the results of the engagement was presented to the Council in late summer 2021.The full analysis of the engagement process has contrinbuted towards the development of our Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan.

Our final Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan can be viewed on our dedicated Perth & Kinross Climate Action Website.

On the 15th of December 2021 Councillors unanimously backed the Draft Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, which sets out how Perth and Kinross will reach net zero carbon emissions by 2045. Our Draft Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan identifies eight thematic areas. Transport, Land Use, Energy & Buildings, Waste, Business & Industry, Resilience, Education and Engagement, and Governance.

The strategy also highlights how we will reduce the impact of climate change on communities and how residents and businesses are vital to creating a sustainable future. The Strategy is guided by the following principles:

1. Achieving Net Zero aligned with the Paris Agreement and Scottish Government targets by 2045, if not before
2. Building a more resilient Perth and Kinross
3. Ensuring climate change action is fair and the transition to a green economy benefits all
4. Enhancing biodiversity
5. Engaging young people and empowering them to take action against climate change
6. Empowering businesses and communities to take climate action in line with the Perth and Kinross Offer

The Strategy will be supported by the creation of a Perth and Kinross Climate Change Commission, which councillors approved earlier this year. This will bring together businesses, community groups, individuals and young people to scrutinise the strategy and support its implementation.

Climate Change is having a significant and detrimental impact to our surrounding environment and nature. We must adapt our lifestyle and habits to see the benefits such as; an improvement in health, saving money on energy and carbon saving actions, and encouraging more biodiversity in our natural environment.

We asked what challenges you face in tackling Climate Change and how we can work together to become a climate resilient Perth and Kinross.

We received comments and feedback across all five phases of the engagement, as well as online sessions hosted by PKC and Climate Cafés across the region, to highlight the key areas which you feel should be prioritised and what actions and next steps we should take. The following were some of the feedback and suggestions from phase 2;

• Fuel poverty is a recognised issue across Perth and Kinross and communities would like to get involved in finding out more information for themselves and to help others.
• Extremely important for the Council to provide support to Council tenants in making changes to mitigate climate change.
• Most private homeowners are not aware of EPC rating targets and practical implications associated with these.
• Importance of trusted sources of local and relevant advice for energy and carbon saving emissions.

Along with the action points and next steps from the series of online sessions and Climate Cafés, the results of the engagement was presented to the Council in late summer 2021.The full analysis of the engagement process has contrinbuted towards the development of our Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan.

Our final Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan can be viewed on our dedicated Perth & Kinross Climate Action Website.

On the 15th of December 2021 Councillors unanimously backed the Draft Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, which sets out how Perth and Kinross will reach net zero carbon emissions by 2045. Our Draft Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan identifies eight thematic areas. Transport, Land Use, Energy & Buildings, Waste, Business & Industry, Resilience, Education and Engagement, and Governance.

The strategy also highlights how we will reduce the impact of climate change on communities and how residents and businesses are vital to creating a sustainable future. The Strategy is guided by the following principles:

1. Achieving Net Zero aligned with the Paris Agreement and Scottish Government targets by 2045, if not before
2. Building a more resilient Perth and Kinross
3. Ensuring climate change action is fair and the transition to a green economy benefits all
4. Enhancing biodiversity
5. Engaging young people and empowering them to take action against climate change
6. Empowering businesses and communities to take climate action in line with the Perth and Kinross Offer

The Strategy will be supported by the creation of a Perth and Kinross Climate Change Commission, which councillors approved earlier this year. This will bring together businesses, community groups, individuals and young people to scrutinise the strategy and support its implementation.

Tenants were asked to vote on three rent level options for 2021/22: 

Option 1

• A rent increase of 1% that would simply cover the existing costs of running the HRA for 2021/22.  The running costs of the HRA include items such as general inflation increases, bad debt provision and staffing costs.

Option 2

• A rent increase of 1% that would cover the existing costs of running the HRA for 2021/22 and also give us funding for:

• • Additional digital and financial support for tenants: - £150,000 *
  • A new Social Inclusion Support Service - £50,000 * 

(* both for a 2-year period )

Under this option the enhanced services would be paid for through some small changes to budgets and services:

• • A reduction in the Estate Based Initiatives Budget of £150,000 (this would leave a budget of £150,000 for this work, which would continue).
  • General efficiencies of £30,000 (this proposal would not impact on our current level of services).
  • A reduction in the Tenant Participation Budget of £20,000 (. TP work would continue at the level currently provided).

Option 3

• A rent increase of 1.7% that would cover the existing costs of running the HRA for 2021/22 and also give us funding for:

• • Additional digital and financial inclusion support for tenants: - £150,000 *
  • A new Social Inclusion Support Service - £50,000 * 

(* both for a 2-year period)

Under this option the investment in enhanced services would be funded by the rent increase alone, and not by any changes to existing services.

Option 2 was the preferred options for our tenants, with 38% of the vote.

A paper containing the proposed rent level for 2021/22 (option 2) was considered by Housing and Communities Committee on Wednesday 3^rd February, and was approved by elected members.

We asked about the experiences of people from equalities groups in Perth and Kinross to identify priorities for action and develop ways for individuals, communities, public and third sector to work together.

More specifically, we asked about:

• the extent to which people feel heard and listened to;
• how able people feel to influence local decisions;
• any barriers or disadvantage that people experience;
• what issues are important to people.

Space and influence emerged as over arching themes in our conversations. Many of the issues could be addressed more easily if people had easier access to space, had a greater part in determining and setting agendas and more opportunities to use their knowledge, experience, ideas and energy.

We are now planning to:

• continue the conversations, hearing from a wide range of people.
• share what we have learned with the Strategic Equalities Forum and with different services.
• work to connect people and groups with other discussions and decisions, where they wish to be more involved.
• work with people and groups to find better ways of doing things. We will start by looking at access to community space.

We asked for your views on the draft Sexual Entertainment Policy and received 4 comments from our online survey and other interested parties. Many thanks to those who provided comments.

The majority of those who responded were in favour of the number of sexual entertainment venues in Perth and Kinross being fixed at zero. This is a rebuttable presumption which means that applications can still be made and will be individually considered, but applicants will have to overcome that presumption.

Your feedback was included in a report to the Licensing Committee and your comments enabled them to make decisions on the final policy statement.  The Council considered that it is appropriate that Sexual Entertainment Venues (SEV) should be licensed in order that both performers and customers benefit from a safe, regulated environment. View the Resolution and the final SEV Policy Statement here.

For your views on the Draft Delivery of Development Sites Guidance. 

The template was generally welcomed but would benefit from some changes and additions to make it clearer and more useful.

We made the suggested changes to the Delivery of Development Sites Guidance (or explained why if we chose not to make a change). The Guidance was approved by the Council's Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on the 25 November 2020 and has now been adopted as non-statutory guidance.

It is important that minerals developments are restored in accordance with approved plans soon after working has finished. Usually site owners and operators carry out the restoration work but we asked how should we ensure that a financial guarantee is in place in case the local authority needs to take over the restoration work for any reason?

We received comments suggesting an appropriate scope for the guarantee, it should cover necessary restoration and aftercare only; and proposing an appropriate way to secure the requirement for a restoration guarantee.

The results of the consultation will be included in a report to the next Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, the date for which has not yet been set.