Perth City Hall works set to cause temporary disruption for neighbouring businesses

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Perth city centre pubs and cafes will temporarily lose their outdoor seating areas as work on the £26 million Perth City Hall project progresses.

Businesses neighbouring the future home of the Stone of Destiny will have to remove outdoor fittings and fixtures to allow resurfacing works to take place.Works on St John's Place, South St John's Place, Kirkgate, Kirkside and King Edward Street are scheduled to begin on January 17.The museum is due to open in 2024 and will tell the story of Scotland’s ancient roots and the role played by the people and land surrounding Perth.Perth City Centre SNP councillor Eric Drysdale said moving tables, chairs, umbrellas, etc to make way for the paving works looked set to be a “serious headache” for the affected businesses.

He said: “Practical challenges including arranging removal and temporary storage of substantial external fixtures and fittings were set to be an additional serious headache for café and pub business owners.”Cllr Drysdale said he liaised with council officers on behalf of the affected pubs and cafés.

PKC agreed to provide manpower to the businesses and to also seek to provide secure storage space for their tables, chairs, etc until they can be returned to the cafes and pubs by Easter.Cllr Drysdale added: “I was particularly concerned to hear of this significant emerging challenge for businesses at what is an incredibly difficult time for them, and so I was delighted to be able to arrange for PKC officers to provide practical support.“To be fair, the officer I spoke to completely understood the seriousness of these issues and immediately agreed to take steps to help.” A spokesperson for Perth and Kinross Council said: “A major part of the City Hall project is investment