Scone supermarket is slap in the face for Cittaslow

Oct 30 2009 by Les Stewart, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

DEAR Editor, – Councillor Jack Coburn and Kay Lamb, of Perth and Kinross Council, gave a presentation to Scone Probus Club on Cittaslow Perth.

This is apparently a key flagship policy for economic growth, sustainable development and quality of life across the area.

The council is said to be committed to “goals and principles that improve the quality of life”, to “support and promote independent local business”, to “buy local, think local”, to “encourage people to buy and enjoy fresh local produce” and to “protecting and celebrating the unique and distinctive character” of the Cittaslow environment.

The dedicated council team working in support of the policy – and Councillor Coburn himself, who chairs the national organisation of Cittaslow, must feel undermined completely by the Planning Department's support for the new major supermarket intended for Scone.

This is being supported on the false premise that it will relieve gridlock at Bridgend.

Reliable traffic flow analyses of the council's own data predict that, on the contrary, traffic flow management problems will increase and not only at Bridgend. Is this a Cittaslow outcome?

Unfair competition from a multi-national will inevitably destroy the business of local shops and small producers and providers who are the historic heartbeat of the village.

Scone would then become a featureless ribbon development, devoid of facilities and sterilised by continuous traffic running to and from the supermarket.

Historic identity will be destroyed. This is what research elsewhere indicates would happen. Is this compatible with Cittaslow?

Roland Bean, Head of Planning, informed the public recently that submissions on planning issues would always be considered after the date, providing there was time before the formal hearing of the application.

Contrary to his assurance, many, many ‘late’ objections to the Scone supermarket have now been rejected although no date has yet been announced for the formal hearing. Again a clear conflict of stated policy.

Apparently local views are not wanted. This is the opposite of Cittaslow philosophy, isn't it?

As in the incinerator fiasco, certain officials and perhaps some councillors do not appear to be operating in line with publicly stated policies.

The roots of this may well lie in the council mantra of “partnership with the business world” or at least some members of it.

Undeniably, the incinerator project, burning rubbish imported from all over, would make money for the developers and so would a new supermarket at Scone.

The effects from either or both of these developments on the local economies would, however, be in complete contradiction to Cittaslow in which Perth appears to have a leading position.

The ethics and behaviour of big business have destroyed our national banks and some of these behaviours appear to have permeated local government on the assumption that money-making is what matters most.

Cittaslow is an opposing set of values to this. In which direction should Perth and Kinross Council be allowed to go?

It cannot go both ways at the same time. In a democracy, the choice is yours.

Ian Nicol,

Highfield Road,

Scone, PH2 6RN.