A dynamic and vibrant new city, Perth is one of the fastest growing urban centres in Scotland. It is already home to major company HQs including Stagecoach, SSE and Aviva. Among a series of housing, creative and commercial developments that are transforming the city, a major focus for the city is the development of smart green technology and attracting investment to achieve these ambitions.
The city – which will be home to a new Museum late in 2023 in a converted Victorian City Hall – aims to be one of the smartest and most sustainable small cities in Europe. Its ‘Smart Perth’ strategy sets out how Perth can be a driver for place and business innovation in areas such as energy, mobility and digital technology, focusing on delivering economic diversification, resilience and long-term growth.
Perth West
The flagship project within the city is Perth West, a 240-ha site for a range of sustainable housing, commercial and industrial developments. Perth West is backed by the Scottish and UK governments, Perth & Kinross Council (PKC), local businesses and academic institutions, which aim to showcase the smartest, greenest technology to help Perth develop sustainably.
Covering undeveloped land on the western edge of the city, the location and scale of the project present a unique opportunity to deliver a step change in the transition of Scottish cities to a zero-carbon economy, through infrastructure, land uses, and a governance model focused on skills development and job creation.
Perth’s ambitions for Perth West are supported by several projects that form part of a £300m Tay City Deal, which has projected inward investment of at least £400m over a 15-year period. Perth West is identified as one of the nine investment opportunities in Scotland promoted by the UK Government (Invest in Great Britain and NI). The site will act as a catalyst for private investment and innovation.in clean energy, digital technology and decarbonisation of the transport system.
Planning Permission in Principle has been granted for Phase 1 of Perth West and road infrastructure (an underpass below the A9) are planned, which will release 25 hectares of employment land that forms the first part of the Perth Eco Innovation Park, alongside wider residential and amenity facilities.
Perth Eco Innovation Park
Perth Eco Innovation Park will include commercial and research facilities and public amenities with significant test space for urban mobility solutions including last mile delivery, Mobility as a Service (MaaS), active travel and blue green infrastructure.
The Eco Innovation Park will look to provide small renewable energy capacity and battery storage on site and will aim to be attractive to businesses (mainly from the energy, mobility and digital service sectors) and provide office and R&D space and facilities for small scale manufacturing for large companies and small start-ups, who have sustainability as their main driver and wish to locate with similar companies in a high quality eco-designed park. The Park will work with its tenants to reduce energy consumption, increase recycling, promote the use of public transport, cycling and walking, and EV car sharing and will minimise its environmental impact both locally and globally.
(reference 20/00667/IPM)
Through its focus on smart investing and technology, Perth is already in process of bringing about long-term, meaningful and progressive change to the economy and the face of the city that will enable inclusive, sustainable, economic growth and positive human capital.
Investment Opportunities
Investment opportunities include the above Perth West and Eco-Innovation Park development, which is planned to deliver 2,210-3,253 homes, over 25 hectares of employment land, 2 local employment and community focussed centres, land for a medical centre, two primary schools and cemetery provision as described in the 2019 Local Development Plan. Associated with this is DR.ECO Renewables Park, a solar park connecting 20MW of solar energy into smart grid networks serving the development.
Further investment opportunities include:
The Perth Innovation Highway – with £5 million already committed under the Tay Cities Deal (TCD) to enhance physical and digital infrastructure along the corridor that connects the city centre and planned development at Perth West (project led by John Dewar Lamberkin Trust).
The Smart Energy City Programme, in collaboration with the Can-Do Innovation challenge fund and Innovate UK, PKC is developing a prototype smart energy system with the ability to generate renewable energy and transfer that energy to a different site for storage and use. PKC’s plans aim to make Perth one of the first UK cities to be net zero using smart and off-grid systems.
In terms of transport, the city local authority is rolling out the Electric A9 project and taking steps to expand and reinforce Scotland’s existing electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, which will help drivers in urban and rural Scotland access the benefits of driving EVs. Perth and Kinross hosts 75 miles of this crucial project, enhancing the region’s growing EV charging network, which is already higher than the Scottish average.
Associated projects include:
- Perth cultural transformation/Perth City Hall project (£10 million)
- Low Carbon Transport & Active Travel Hub (£3.5 million)
- Perth Bus & Rail Interchange (£15 million)
- Perth & Kinross & Angus Rural Digital Projects (£2 million)
A major infrastructure upgrade programme to improve the road network around the city will also address issues of congestion and pollution within the city centre.
Call to Action
Smart Perth’s strengths and assets include a focus on attracting inward investment that drives innovation and sustainability. It has an enviable quality of life and is rated often as one of the top places to live in the UK due to its location next to the River Tay, access to the Highlands, low crime, good schools and affordable house prices.
The city has an unrivalled location with superior physical infrastructure and digital connectivity, while it maintains strong links with the Perth College campus of the University of Highlands and Islands and universities in Dundee and St Andrews as well as skills academies in industry. There are excellent private-public partnerships in place with multi-level buy-in across key sectors and significant investment in transformational projects. Our digital ambitions have already seen council-owned ducting create a 19.5km end-to-end full-fibre network, connecting key council data centres, public buildings and community establishments, in addition to a new City Operations Centre for CCTV traffic and public space monitoring.
Perth’s ability to adapt and evolve in an ever-changing global marketplace has secured its reputation as an innovative business destination, providing an ambitious, vibrant environment in which to invest capital in new sustainability enterprises, build a start-up or locate a national and international headquarters office.
CONTACT
Kirsty Easton
Inward Investment and Marketing Officer
Perth and Kinross Council
Pullar House, 35 Kinnoull Street, Perth PH1 5GD
KEaston@pkc.gov.uk
QUICK FACTS
UN Sustainable Development Goals:
Goal 7. Affordable and Clean Energy
Goal 8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
Goal 9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Goal 11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
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