Appendix 3 - Examples of Projects and Outcomes Delivered via the previous Economic Wellbeing Plan
Perth and Kinross Council · 5 February 2025
Back to Economy and Infrastructure Committee — 5 February 2025 and its agenda
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Appendix 3: Examples of Projects & Outcomes Delivered via the Economic Wellbeing Plan Project Outcomes Cost/Funders Parental Employment Support – Future for Families Futures for Families offers a tailored package of support to eligible parents. Whether a client is in work or not, they will receive relevant assistance to progress, with the aim of securing well paid/skilled employment. Our clients all have access to our training grant, digital support, subsidised travel, childcare when moving back into employment, clothing vouchers for work/interviews and the self-employment start up grant. • Since project start the Futures for Families team @ PKC have assisted 407 new families. We currently have 225 active clients, with 136 of these families engaging in 24/25 to date. • Supporting clients into self-employment has become a key focus. The Key Workers have supported a total of 64 clients into newly self-employed businesses between November 2023 and present day, working closely with BG. • Utilising the Elev8 Support and Training Grant, we have supported 29 clients in 2023/24 investing £178,229.43. This activity has risen considerably in 2024/25 as 94 clients have been supported to date. • Since introducing the Digital Support Grant in September 2023, we have financially supported 56 families in or at risk of digital poverty PKC - £300K SG grant - £330K TCD Skills Programme – SME Skills The Tay Cities SME Skills Fund, funded through the Tay Cities Deal and managed by Dundee and Angus College offers a £5,000 grant opportunity to small and medium sized businesses in the Tay Cities region (including Perth and Kinross) to upskill or re-skill their workforces through training provided by academic training providers across the region. Bespoke training can also be created for businesses. To date 17 Perth & Kinross businesses have been supported, funding 97 different training courses, benefitting 757 employees. Tay Cities SME Skills Fund SG via TCD- £2.47M for TC region TCD Skills Programme – Digital Skills The project is designed to address the skills gaps across the Tay Cities Region by supporting individuals access digital skills training and working with businesses and organisations to plug their digital skills gaps. To date the project has supported 529 individuals across the Tay Cities Region (121 from P&K) to access 42 individual training courses including Data & Python, Power BI, Data Science, Data Analytics, Ai, Cybersecurity. For more info. visit Home - Tay Cities Digital Skills Project Phase 1 £2.47M
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Skills Passport The Skills Passport Training Grant was devised to offer access to funding for training courses which are unobtainable by any other means, to help individuals with their journey back into employment or business start-up. The grant offers financial support for training courses to enable individuals to overcome barriers to employment, or to sustain better employment opportunities. In 2023 it supported 42 individuals with training qualifications with 32 of those now in employment or self- employment. In 2024, 39 further awards have been awarded to date; with more projected for Q4. £180K p.a. £155K UK SPF £25K PKC Emergency/Covid Business Grants Perth & Kinross Council administered a range of business support grants on behalf of the Scottish Government to assist businesses in the Perth & Kinross area. These grants aimed to provide financial relief to businesses, particularly in the hospitality and tourism sectors, that were required to cease operations due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. Over the course of three lockdown periods, from March 2020 to the lifting of restrictions in mid-2022, the Council distributed funds to support local businesses. In total, the council received more than 1800 applications across various funding schemes. And paid out c. £84 million during this period. £84M SG The Green Capital Development Grant The GCDG fund was launched in January 2022 with the specific aim of supporting businesses with green focused capital investment. The funding strategy is devised now, as during the pandemic to leverage private investment into capital projects to increase the total return opportunities for the funding. Supporting just under 50 projects with £943,285 has leveraged in £5M worth of investment. The grant has been an extremely successful initiative that has generated a significant reduction in net carbon emissions throughout Perth & Kinross, whilst simultaneously measurably improving the region’s economy. The capital investment provided has allowed many local businesses to improve their turnover and create additional employment. £943,285 PKC £5M local businesses Visitor Management Infrastructure PKC successfully secured funding of >£900K from the SG’s Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund towards 3 projects: - • Grandtully Visitor Management Facilities (delivery partner was the Scottish Canoe Assoc.) Project completed September 2023 and included creation of 80 new parking spaces; 6 EV chargers; 4 e- bike chargers; bike shelter & maintenance point; Accessible toilets, showers 7 changing facilities • Loch Leven improvements (delivery partner RSPB) – creating new car park, new visitor centre, café, shop, and gender neutral/ changing places toilets all now open. Improvements include: - 97 additional car parking bays, 4 additional accessibility bays, 12 EV charging points & 2 e-bike charging points; 10 new cycle stands; 12 new toilets. • Aberfeldy Car Park/ River Tay Way - visitor infrastructure at Aberfeldy Car Park for a hub on the new River Tay Way (delivery partner Perth & Kinross Countryside Trust) – improvements include 1 new Accessible toile; 2 Parent/Child Toilets; 2 Changing Rooms; Grey wastewater disposal; Information point & seating area. Total project costs: - Grandtully Total £1.121M Loch Leven £457,508 River Tay Way £522,000 Gigabit Connected Perth & Kinross Our local Gigabit digital infrastructure has been significantly enhanced by public and private investment via funding from the UK Government (DCMS) and the Tay Cities Deal. Spanning 19.5km, Perth’s new, In total
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end-to-end full fibre network underpins significant digital infrastructure within the region. Completed by Neos Networks, the network is fully installed and operational. This will be crucial to futureproofing businesses in the area and the wider region against the ever-growing demands of the digital economy. A similar contract was deployed by BT Telecoms focusing on our towns and rural communities. In total the project secured significant external funding: £3.9M DCMS and £1M TCD and was completed in November 2021; 136 public buildings were connected and many 1000’s more residential & business premises can now be connected to Full Fibre due to this investment in PKC properties. It has also led to the development of the Broadband Voucher scheme funded by the UK SPF in 2024. £3.9M UK Govt (DCMS) plus £2M Tay Cities Deal Cross Tay Link Road (CTLR) The CTLR is the biggest infrastructure project ever undertaken by Perth & Kinross Council and planning permission was granted in 2019. It has involved the construction of a new 3-span bridge over the River Tay and a six kilometre stretch of new carriageway linking the A9 and the A93 to Blairgowrie and the A94, just north of Scone. It also includes the construction of two kilometres of realigned dual carriageway on the A9 just north of the Inveralmond Roundabout. The project will improve the local transport network and traffic flow and reduce journey times. It will also enhance pedestrian and cycle safety, increase network capacity as well as significantly reducing traffic congestion and related pollution in Perth city centre. The project has also unlocked housing and commercial land and related business and investment opportunities. It is due to opened in the Spring of this year. £150.5M PKC £110.5M TCD £40M Adapt Your Property Support The Adapt Your Property Fund provides substantial financial assistance to property owners and tenants, enabling them to renovate and repurpose vacant commercial properties. By offering grants of up to £75,000 or 50% of the project costs, this fund encourages the conversion of these spaces into new commercial, community, or residential uses. This initiative not only helps reduce the number of empty properties but also stimulates local economic growth, supports small businesses, and enhances the aesthetic appeal of town and city centers. Projects supported by this fund contribute to local placemaking and townscape improvements, delivering wider community benefits and fostering a sense of local pride. Around £1.5M of grant funding has been awarded to various projects around Perth and Kinross, in return this has seen a further investment of almost £10M in our urban settlements. PKC £1.5M Private owners £10M Perth Museum Perth Museum opened on Easter Weekend 2024 after a £27M redevelopment project of the former Perth City Hall. The project has created a world-class cultural and heritage attraction which highlights the fascinating objects and stories that put Perth and Kinross at the heart of Scotland’s story. At its heart sits the Stone of Destiny, one of Scotland and the UK’s most significant historical objects. Returned to Perthshire for the first time in over 700 years. The project has created 29.5 FTE jobs directly and welcomed over 233,600 visitors by December 2024. £27M in total £17M PKC £10M UKG via the TCD
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Pitlochry Festival Theatre Improvements PFT’s transformative VISION Capital Project is part of a story of continuous evolution. At the start of the pandemic when, for reasons of public safety we had an empty building, the decision was made to break up this complex capital project into one we could be delivered in phases. Phase 1 was completed in August 2022, works included a transformed Foyer – bright, open and accessible – and a brand new 172-seat Studio theatre – a flexible space in which to showcase new writing and touring productions. In 2024 Phase 2 works included the replacement of the glass curtain walls which look over the River Tummel, and the refurbishment of the Theatre roof and air systems. Both interventions significantly improved energy efficiency. The final phase commenced in January 2025, with the full restoration of the main Auditorium and stage infrastructure. It will also include further upgrades to visitor facilities and a radical re-imagine of the hospitality and retail spaces. To date £10M+ from Dunard Fund/ Gannochy Trust. £10M UKG via the TCD Broxden Low Carbon Hub The Broxden Low Carbon Transport Hub Project has created an innovative, low carbon transport hub at a key, strategically important site and central node on the Scottish motorway network, at Broxden. It has broadened the range of refuelling facilities and transport modes available, and provides sustainable travel options to residents, businesses and visitors to the region. The project included 15 EV chargers including 6 rapid & 1 disabled access, providing a range of EV charging speeds to accommodate a variety of EV usage patterns. Innovations included a solar canopy, integrated with a battery storage system to hold on-site generated renewable energy. To encourage active travel, new secure bike storage facilities and a public transport information display have also been provided. The project has contributed to the development of an integrated, effective, efficient and low carbon transport system for Perth City and the wider region. £1.2M £790K TCD SG £387K ERDF