Business Magazine Issue 11: Spring 2020
Perth Creative Exchange The city’s vibrant new space for artists and creative industries opens its doors
BUSINESS LEADERS Murray Alexander: The Rise Of Algo George Stubbs Talks Location, Location, Location PLUS GANNOCHY TRUST EXPANSION / RTS FORESTRY’S 12M DEAL / BERTHA PARK £32M SCHOOL / EVENT TOURISM MATTERS / COMMERCIAL PROPERTY LISTINGS Invest in Perth Magazine
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WELCOME Of course, with all change comes opportunity and challenges, and as an area Perth and the wider region has embraced both with gusto. From stepping up to the climate change chaos (page 3) and offering solutions to the housing crisis (page 20), to delivering tangible prospects for our creatives and young entrepreneurs, our deep breadth of local experience and diverse range of industries has placed Perth as a frontrunner in Scotland’s future.
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n our 21st century workplace the word ‘industry’ has more meaning than at any other point in history. Looking back we can clearly see the progression that has been made since the first industrial revolution took place; with the advent of steam, power, electricity, and mass production we were propelled into a place in time where technology could advance, bringing us up to the digital age and the fourth revolution where we are today.
Take this month’s cover feature: The Creative Exchange. Opened in partnership with the highly experienced WASPS Scotland, this collaborative project is an excellent example of private-public partnership working making a very real difference to the often overlooked creative industries. It is a superb building with a number of nationally recognised artists already in situ, and the Famous Grouse Innovation Centre taking up residence in its heart.
Partnership working is also forging opportunities for the aviation industry in Perth, thanks to an innovative range of qualifications attracting students from across the world to Perth College UHI. A multimillion investment in the region will boost the sector’s skills and technology base making us highly competitive on the international stage. Read more about all of this, alongside inspiring words from local independent business leaders, George Stubbs and Murray Alexander, and exciting news from Scotland’s Schools of the Future programme with the £32m development at Bertha Park. Opportunities are certainly bountiful in Perth and the wider area.
Councillor Murray Lyle Leader of Perth & Kinross Council #PerthLiveLifeWell
Highlights 4 Business Leaders: Murray Alexander 6 £32m Investment In Bertha Park High School 8 Air Service Training To Future-Proof Industry 10 Perth Creative Exchange
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14 Distilled Ambition From Perthshire’s Highlands 16 Event Tourism’s £618m Economic Boost 18 Business Spotlight: Cardney Estate 20 Gannochy Trust’s £10m Housing Expansion 22 George Stubbs: ‘Why Choose Perth?’
The Invest in Perth Team is focused on ensuring businesses in Perth and the wider region achieve their ambitions for growth. knowledgeable, industry-savvy and well connected, this is your first point of contact for future investment and relocation to, and within, the area. Kirsty Easton Inward Investment & Marketing Officer keaston@pkc.gov.uk +44 (0) 1738 475364 Perth and Kinross Council, Pullar House, 35 Kinnoull St, Perth, PH1 5GD
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On the cover: Su Grierson at the Creative Exchange (p11), Photograph © Fraser Band This magazine is printed on recycled paper
Produced by The Red String Agency on behalf of Invest in Perth Writing: Nicola Martin and Sally Dawson Design: Cain Martin
VIEWPOINT
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The Climate Change Emergency And Your Business By Mike Robinson, CEO Royal Scottish Geographical Society
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ome people think climate change is still an unsettled issue, but the truth is that the science was largely settled in 1979. Now, the evidence is so overwhelming that no one can credibly say it’s not happening. But it remains the case that businesses are not as aware of climate change as much as you might think. In the most part they are also unprepared for the challenges – and opportunities – ahead. Thankfully, though, they are now aware that they have to take this issue more seriously. And it makes sense to do this, especially in terms of ensuring their business thrives, as an understanding of climate solutions provides market prescience and informs stakeholder and customer values, and staff engagement. In Scotland, the ambitious targets (42% reductions by 2020) as laid out in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 put us in the top echelon of the world’s commitments. We are ahead of the curve in research, in innovation and in academia. And this is probably why the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP 26 is coming to Glasgow later this year. Our position as a leader is recognised by the international community. But more still needs to be done. So where does that leave business? Well, basically, it’s got to the point where business leaders or strategists can’t ignore climate change – it just doesn’t make business sense. The first obvious thing is around adaptation. You can’t be robust as a business if your staff can’t get to work, or you can’t access resources. This is why unions, the Scottish government, the British government, Europe, and the
vast majority of the world’s governments are looking towards the future, and how we deal with global trade and resource extraction in the face of climate change.
streets for people, climate change, mitigation, sustainable transport, connectivity, digital hubs – all these issues can be driven by business, positively affecting quality of life.
Adding to these physical risks is the fact that your customers, stakeholders and shareholders are now demanding to know what is being done in terms of sustainability – because they want to see action. If businesses want to keep trading into the future they will have to engage.
We have a fantastic city with one of the best physical environments in Europe. We’ve already got great assets: Europe’s largest public transport provider, Stagecoach, is on the doorstep; SSE is one of the largest renewable energy providers in Europe. And, of course, farming and land use is a fundamental part of the community, which so relies on the quality of the environment.
What would it take to make Perth the most sustainable small city in Europe?
When you add it all together, we have fantastic foundations. So, what would it take to make Perth the most sustainable small city in Europe at every level? That is the question we’ll be asking at our summit in Perth on Tuesday 5th May.
The good news is that the shape and pace of change – of how the future looks - is up for grabs. What trade barriers are there going to be, what taxes and legislation are businesses going to face? Businesses can help to influence these decisions. But they can also choose to show leadership, and benefit from our international profile on this issue. There is an incredible opportunity for those businesses that choose to be involved – and with Scotland ahead of the curve globally, Perth, with its high quality environment and compact size has a real chance to be at the forefront of these changes. We could be exemplary. The newly released Perth City Development Plan talks about
We’ll be bringing in global thinkers, national figures, people with commitments, with budgets, with staff, with knowledge – this is set to be a very exciting event. We’ll be talking about a wide range of topics including new thinking on old challenges such as domestic heating and recycling, as well as exploring how you can use streets better and engage young people in city centres. The summit is being run by RSGS, PKC, The John Dewar Lamberkine Foundation and the Perth City Leadership Forum (previously PCDB) and will bring together individuals and organisations interested in finding a better way of connecting Perth to the whole of Scotland, the UK and the world.” For more information contact: enquiries@rsgs.org Invest in Perth Magazine
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FEATURE
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Business Leaders: Take 5 Murray Alexander, Algo Ltd
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urray Alexander is the Managing Director of Perth based Algo Ltd, a multimillion-pound turnover business that has grown from its humble roots in agricultural buildings to become one of Scotland’s longest-standing independent construction companies.
winning the contract to design and build King James VI Business Centre for the Castlecroft group in 2015 with the launch of Alfa Doors Ltd who specialise in the construction and supply of quality, bespoke industrial doors to other builders as well as manufacturing for Algo projects.
Established in the early ‘80s by Murray’s father, Peter, Algo has evolved and matured through hard work, consistently high standards and the foresight to evolve and diversify in order to satisfy the growing demands of commercial building in Scotland.
Murray’s own business portfolio extends to Alexander & Co, a residential-house-building company that he owns in partnership with Sandy Farmer, his second in command at Algo. He and his wife, Nadia, also own the Lia & Olive Beauty Salon brand, the exclusive Holland Cooper retail franchise for Scotland. Alexander Residence and Tay Apartments, a small suite of luxury self-catering apartments in Perth city centre, also form part of the business portfolio.
One of the few medium-sized construction firms remaining in Scotland, Algo’s projects range from turnkey solutions for local companies, to larger builds across the country. Murray has been at the helm for the past 12 years, and spent almost another 20 before that building his reputation and developing the knowledge and expertise that has carried Algo into the 21st century. He led the team responsible for the build of Algo Business Centre, the company’s first foray into serviced office lets. Since then, Algo has taken ownership of Inveralmond Business Centre as well as 4
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IiP: Economic changes over the past decade have resulted in many established Scottish and UK construction firms going under. Why do you think Algo has survived? MA: I can’t speak for others, and what they may or may not have done, but for us it has to be centred around our depth of knowledge and expertise. It’s a simple fact that the longer you’ve been at something, the better you become at it, and we’ve been doing this for almost 40 years – that in itself instils confidence in clients.
We ask local industry leaders the questions that matter most. Everyone in Algo’s senior management structure, both office and site based, has been with the company for between 10 and 20 years. And a couple of us even longer than that. The newer team coming up through the ranks are learning from this experience, not just the practical skills but the ethos behind who we are and what we stand for. This has meant that we’ve been in a position to remain true to our promise of delivering great quality buildings, on time and on budget. It gives us consistency – and customers like that. I think having our base in Perth has contributed to that message. We’re here – people can see us. We don’t just turn up for the build and disappear. That same experience means we’re good at business as well as building and so we’ve been quick to seize opportunities that have presented themselves to us. The business centres are a great example of that; as is Alfa Doors. We take educated risks that have allowed us to steadily increase turnover without the need to compromise on standards. IiP: You’ve mentioned the depth of knowledge in your team. How do you futureproof this expertise? We currently have around 90 employees
covering all areas of the business – so that means office-based professionals, skilled trades on-site, and in-house design technicians. Making sure that everyone stays motivated and looking in the same direction is tough but it comes back to that passing on of skills and attitude. You need to be proactive about it too; we are actively engaging with local schools to offer opportunities to young people considering a career in construction. We bring them in as new starts, and train them to our standards. It means we’re actively nurturing the next generation of builders, designers and managers, and ensuring we have the people to take us into the next 40 years of Algo. IiP: You’ve been in the construction business for almost 40 years. What has changed, and how do you ensure Algo remains relevant? In reality, people still want a cost-effective solution, so that never changes. But I do think expectations have increased as budgets have dropped, meaning the entire industry is more price driven than ever before. Over time this has led to a significant increase in detail when tendering and quoting for work, and in reporting – so contractually we have more to do for every job. For a company like Algo, that works in our favour because we’ve always been mindful of working smart, ensuring high standards and providing value. We recently appointed a senior projects manager to assist the whole team, and better link the office to our various sites. On the surface it’s a small change, but it’s been a lot of small changes like this over a number of years that have kept us moving forward and looking towards the future. Change both large and small has kept us versatile in our approach to how we do business. In 1990 we only built agricultural buildings, most of them in Perthshire. Today we build churches, distilleries and industrial units from Inverness to the Borders. By adapting, we’ve remained relevant. IiP: So what does Algo’s business look like today? And how have you positioned yourself for growth? In some respects it’s more of the same; but for us that means taking those calculated risks. We’ve spread ourselves geographically, and now have projects running as far south as the Borders and as far north as Inverness. This is where I see our long-term growth; as a nationally recognised construction firm with strong brand awareness across the country.
That’s one of the reasons we’ve stayed in Perth and why we’ve planned to expand our base right here. We are central to the whole of Scotland, which means logistically, we’re about as competitive as you can get. I couldn’t think of a better location to be in. And of course, we see first-hand the growth that is happening locally. Right at this minute we have £6 million of projects going on in Perth. That speaks volumes for the local economy because it means that people want to invest. When you take that full circle, it tells me that we’re in exactly the right location for growth.
We are central to the whole of Scotland, which means logistically we’re about as competitive as you can get. For me, I don’t want to chase turnover for the sake of it. It has to be structured growth, into the right markets that we can service longterm and deliver quality products to. The further afield you go, the harder that becomes so you need to be ready, and have total belief in your product and people. Thankfully, years of experience have given me both.
IiP: You mentioned expanding your base – what plans do you have for the immediate future? Last year we bought three acres of ground at Broxden in Perth and we’re now looking to progress that project. We’ve created five separate plots of varying size, one of which we’ll keep and the others we’ll sell to local businesses looking to expand or to companies hoping to relocate to Perth. The idea being of course, that they’ll also choose Algo to develop their ground in accordance with their plans! Our plot is being developed into a third business centre. We have 64 businesses renting serviced office space from us at the minute and we know through these existing tenants and new enquiries what people want their office space to look like in the 21st century. It’s all about how people work, and what their lifestyle needs are in accordance with that work. The new centre will have flexible, open spaces as well as traditional offices, and there will be a focus around health and wellbeing integrated within the plans – for example, we have ambitions for our new centre to house a gym and a health café, and ideally, a nursery. It is a huge multimillion-pound project with many different facets to it. And that’s what’s so exciting about it – it brings together all of our skills, unifying that diverse range of expertise our team has built up over the past four decades. To find out more about Algo Ltd, visit their website algo.co.uk. For office space and Broxden Development enquiries contact the office on: 01738 450450.
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LIVING
£32M Investment In Bertha Park High School The first new build in Scotland’s Schools For The Future project After opening its doors to pupils for the first time in August 2019, Bertha Park High School situated on the northern edge of Perth, has become a hallmark for state-of-theart teaching facilities providing a dynamic learning environment capable of readying its learners for life and work in the 21st century. Forming part of the Scottish Government’s ‘Schools for the Future’ programme, the £32.5m purpose-built school is entirely unique in being the first new, nonreplacement secondary in Scotland for more than two decades. Following an extensive two year build, the 1,100 capacity school, which features cutting-edge facilities including a stunning auditorium and performance space, a sports hall, gym and full size grass and synthetic football pitches alongside modern design elements such as street-style murals, was the 100th school to be built as part of Schools for the Future’s ambitious £1.8 billion initiative. Beginning in 2009 the scheme, which is managed by the Scottish Futures Trust, aims to deliver 117 new schools across Scotland by 2020. The project, led by hub East Central Scotland on behalf of Perth and Kinross Council, with Robertson serving as the main contractor, forms part of an effort to accommodate Perth’s growing population. Following an extensive consultation process 6
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with the local community Bertha Park High School, which has joined with US firm Microsoft to ensure it becomes a centre of excellence for digital technology, is adopting a widely welcomed and innovative approach to education with a considerable emphasis
Everything we’re doing differently has one purpose: to make the experience the best it can be. on digital learning. This includes every pupil being issued with their own device for use at school and at home to collaborate with each other and access learning resources and materials anywhere and at any time.
Enabling pupils to access and show their learning in more pioneering ways than with traditional methods, these devices will also help break down barriers to learning by adapting to individual learners’ needs. Much has been made of Bertha Park’s different approach to learning. There are no personal mobile phones permitted during school hours and a daily mindfulness practice intends to prepare pupils for learning and for any challenges they might be facing. The school’s three core values – Respect, Respect, Respect – are emblazoned across its very walls. As its new head teacher Stuart Clyde explains, the most impactful aspect of this new school will be on its relentless focus towards good relationships. “Everything we’re doing differently has one purpose: to make the learners’ experience the best it possibly can be,” Stuart says. “We need everyone in our community: our staff, our pupils, and their parents to think a little differently about how we all interact with each other. The better the relationships between us all, the better the outcomes for our young people – it’s as simple as that. “Traditional schooling prepares kids for life in the 20th century – an environment that no longer exists. We asked ourselves what skills
do kids need now? What environment do they need to learn in? By questioning everything and consulting with parents and pupils from the outset, we have made bold decisions that will see us write our own history.” As Convener of Perth and Kinross Council’s Lifelong Learning Committee, Councillor Caroline Shiers has been involved in the school’s development since its infancy. Forming part of their ‘Securing the Future of the School Estate’ transformation programme which is currently underway, its opening signals the first in a series of a £175m investment for primary and secondary schooling across the region between 2018 and 2028 including the recently announced £50m replacement of Perth High School. Cllr Shiers said: “The development of the brand new school is an important part of the Council’s programme to transform the school estate in Perth and Kinross and enable it to deliver a high quality environment for learning and teaching into the future. “We are ambitious for all our children and young people and our ongoing investment for the future reflects the importance the Council places on giving them opportunities to achieve to their fullest.” She added: “Undoubtedly the quality of education available across Perth and Kinross is a key consideration for any families with school-age children looking to move into the area.” The Scottish Government’s Education Secretary John Swinney who cut the turf on the grounds of Bertha Park two years ago and who officially opened the school, said the Schools for the Future programme demonstrates a commitment to ensuring young people and teachers can thrive in modern, state-of-the-art buildings. He said: “The all-new Bertha Park High School delivers a fit-for-purpose learning environment and modern sports facilities for up to 1100 pupils. Through the £1.8 billion programme, we are delivering schools that make a real difference to the lives of pupils, teachers and parents as well as the wider communities they serve. I am pleased that the Scottish Government was able to support the development of Bertha Park with £19.6m funding as part of the programme.”
berthaparkhigh.org.uk
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KNOWHOW
Air Service Training To Future-Proof Industry Perth College UHI delivers partnership learning opportunities for the aviation industry
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cotland’s aerospace and defence industry is regarded as one of the most vibrant and successful sectors of UK business, accounting for around 10% of the UK’s aerospace industry with worldrenowned manufacturers such as BAE Systems and Rolls Royce positioning the country as a key player. As the aviation industry flourishes globally, Perth College UHI in partnership with Air Service Training (AST), the oldest aviation training organisation of its type in the world, continue to develop and run a range of innovative Aeronautical and Aircraft Engineering courses to meet the increasing demand for an experienced, highly-skilled workforce. Attracting students from across the world to its conveniently central location, Perth College UHI’s newest offering, the BSc Hons Aircraft Maintenance Engineering and Management degree is the very first of its kind to be available in Scotland and brings together an expert staff to provide graduates with a training certificate in addition to an Honours degree, designed to facilitate a more efficient and productive pathway to becoming an aircraft engineer.
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Year upon year, Perth College UHI continues producing industry-ready graduates of the highest calibre through a unique marriage of practical skills and robust classroom learning, readying students for both the challenges and benefits accompanying careers within the modern day aeronautical industry through its state-of-the-art education and research facilities. With both civilian and military backgrounds, the specialist teaching staff, which includes former engineers from British Airways and Virgin Atlantic fleets and aerodynamicists who have worked with Formula 1 teams, coupled with their world class facilities which include hangar space, functioning aircraft, fixed base and full motion simulators alongside wind tunnels and research facilities ensures that graduating engineers and technicians are capable of responding to each stage of the product life-cycle, from conceptual design through to in-service support. And in efforts to drive innovative and industrial advancements, Perth College UHI alongside AST and others is leading plans for The Aviation Academy of Scotland (AAS), one of the Tay Cities Deal projects.
Following a multimillion-pound investment in the region, the Academy has ambitions to integrate local, regional and national aviation education and specialist training and skills and its Perth campus will focus on Engineering and Air Traffic and Aviation Management skills, helping develop a workforce with the skills necessary to respond to aviation’s global growth and to the emerging clean technologies and low carbon transport sectors. With demand continuing to rise – and a global increase which will see air traffic doubling over the next 15 years if current growth rates continue – the need for experienced personnel to fly, support and maintain the required aircraft will be unprecedented. With new Research Degree-awarding powers, as part of the University of the Highlands and Islands, Perth College UHI now has the opportunity to increase the number of PhDs in the STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering and maths. The co-location of the AAS and an Engineering Innovation and Development Incubator affords opportunities for industry – set real life research projects
BUSINESS NEWS
RTS Forestry Take Over EGGER In £12m Deal
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t a time when the Scottish forestry industry is enjoying record growth, Perthshire forest management firm RTS Forestry is looking towards further expansion of its business after the recent purchase of EGGER Forestry Management. With an already strong presence across Scotland, RTS Forestry welcomed this purchase as an opportunity to expand their forestry management services and gain a greater foothold in southern Scotland and the north of England.
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to be undertaken by Perth College UHI researchers so developing skills and knowledge in the student whilst also improving research-teaching links. Dr Efstathios Tingas, Perth College UHI Lecturer in Engineering and Aviation says the combination of skills and knowledge brought by Perth College UHI and AST within the AAS will reinforce provision of an unrivalled centre of training excellence in Scotland. He added: “The project brings together the key private and public aviation training facilities across Tayside in a new collaboration that will boost the sector’s skills and technology base to become more competitive in an international marketplace. It will establish the only internationally recognised facility in Scotland capable of meeting the full needs of the aviation industry and of providing world class training.” Already delivering Engineering Foundation apprenticeships, Perth College UHI has further ambitions to offer specialist apprenticeships to Perth and Kinross schools, helping provide this burgeoning industry with a pool of workready engineers from the point of leaving education.
perth.uhi.ac.uk
As part of the deal, which was finalised in October 2019, and which includes the ongoing management of 8,000 hectares of privately owned woodland, EGGER’s forest management team moved across to RTS Forestry to ensure existing clients continued to receive an uninterrupted, quality management service.
continuing growth of the forestry industry. “At a time when the whole world is recognising the importance of trees to all our futures in terms of global warming, our business is seeing continued growth within this vibrant sector of the rural economy,” he explained. “Perthshire is an area renowned for its forests, both for their beauty within the landscape, and for their significant commercial contribution to the area’s economy. For many locals and visitors to Perthshire our forests are seen as a great place to walk and enjoy the outdoors. This is then coupled with a progressive and expanding industry which continues to break records in terms of its contribution to both the local economy and employment statistics.
This progressive and expanding industry continues to break records.
Founded in 1984, RTS Forestry has a £15m annual turnover and employs 40 people between the company headquarters in Crieff, its Aboyne office and the new premises in Hexham. It marks a significant year for RTS Forestry in this expansion of the company’s forest management services. RTS also celebrates ten years of the company’s woodfuel division which was developed to provide added value to locally grown timber by processing within Perthshire. Producing 30,000 tonnes of biomass woodchips a year, RTS supply to more than 85 installations across Scotland including 13 Perthshire schools which are heated with this renewable energy source. This marks a significant reduction in the use of fossil fuels for these sites while also delivering additional business expansion within Perth and the wider region. RTS Forestry’s Managing Director Norman O’Neill said the purchase of EGGER’s forestry division indicated confidence in the
“RTS Forestry are active across Scotland and with the recent purchase of the EGGER forest management team, based in Hexham we now have a base in North England, an area renowned for its forestry,” added Norman. With woodland management as its core business, RTS Forestry understands the significance of clients’ individual woodland priorities. This allows the company’s forest managers to design and deliver a tailored service to specifically meet those needs. With clients ranging from private individuals to large multi-national companies, conservation charities and government organisations, RTS Forestry offers a range of services from woodland contracting – which includes woodland creation and establishment – to timber and biomass harvesting and marketing. They are also a leading infrastructure woodland clearance company in Scotland working in tandem with other agencies to fulfil overhead line and renewable energy projects across the country.
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COVER FEATURE
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Perth Creative Exchange Opens Its Doors £4.5m Partnership Project Welcomes Artists And Businesses In The Creative Industries
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ollowing years of careful planning, the doors of Perth Creative Exchange are now open, offering Perth’s creative businesses and artistic community an innovative, collective working space for the first time while also providing a central hub for the creative sector to become a core part of the city’s economy. The £4.5m partnership project between Perth and Kinross Council and Wasps, an award-winning, social enterprise charity which provides affordable spaces to support artists and creative businesses, the Creative Exchange is housed in the converted former St John’s Primary School, in Perth city centre. With over 85% of artist studios rented before the facility opened in November 2019, there is still some availability among the series of vibrant and connected spaces laid out over three floors made up of 26 studios for designers, artists and makers, 13 workspaces for creative industries and
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cultural social enterprises and a creative business incubation space. Additional facilities include a modern café, meeting rooms and hot desking space, plus kitchen and shower facilities. Wasps are
further enhanced by the additional establishment of The Famous Grouse Ideas Centre (FGIC), situated at the heart of the building. The FGIC aims to make a positive economic, social and cultural impact not just in Perth but across the Tay Cities Region.
This marks Perth’s move to recognise the significance and value of the creative economy.
Key stakeholders include Perth College UHI, the social enterprise Elevator – which supports entrepreneurship and business start-ups – and Perth Contemporary Arts Trust (PCAT) providing a creative hub to support business incubation and acceleration for businesses in the creative industries including those in digital technologies and computer software.
currently taking enquiries and arranging viewings for creative industry office space.
Furthermore, in May 2020, students from Perth College UHI, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design and the University of Dundee will be exhibiting coursework underlining the guiding principles of the project to bring artistic groups with varying levels of experience together to engage,
An all-purpose facility targeted at retaining Perth and the wider region’s creative people and the key skills they offer, the Creative Exchange is
share ideas, collaborate and learn from one another. For Wasps Chief Executive Audrey Carlin, the Creative Exchange in Perth marks the city’s move to recognise the significance and value of the creative economy – considered one of the top six growth sectors in Scotland’s economic strategy. “Perth was an area we had been looking at for a long time and as our 20th building, we’re happy to be here at last. Already the Creative Exchange has been incredibly well received by the artistic collective,” she said. “During our demand assessments in the area we discovered that there were problems with creative talent retention. We had to find a way of providing an economic choice for creatives to stay where they could have a sustainable career in Perth and the surrounding areas.” “This is the first of four big cultural projects for Perth and Kinross Council who have shown fantastic commitment to making the creative sector a central part of the city’s economy,” Audrey added. “It is important that Perth has a base that can develop and service creative businesses. It helps ensure that their cultural identity is reflected in the brands emerging across the economic sectors. Too often, businesses don’t realise the expertise that is on their doorstep and how it can be more affordable and more aligned with their own brand.” Echoing the need to retain the city’s creative talent, Council Leader, Councillor Murray Lyle said: “Perth Creative Exchange is one of the most exciting partnership projects we have been involved in driving forward as a Council, to develop an inspiring creative hub offering spaces and opportunities for artists, makers, creative industry professionals, digital entrepreneurs and start-ups, and the general public. Perth now has not only affordable studio and office space for its creative people, but also provision for creative skills development and training programmes, and a brand new café which will be open to the public. The Creative Exchange will play a key role in the Perth and Kinross area as an incubator to nurture talent and retain these skills locally.”
Su Grierson After receiving her Masters of Fine Art from Glasgow School of Art, Perthshire visual artist Su Grierson initially kept her art studio in Glasgow assuming that the city was where she needed to be. “I studied later in life after my children had grown up,” Su explains. “After graduating I assumed I had to stay in the city because that seems to be where art is – it was a very urban thing. Eventually I decided to come back to my home, to the farm, and felt I had to make my work about where I live and make where I live the centre of something and not feel like I was on the edge of a city-based art practice.” Using video, images, sound, text and installation, Su’s work relates to land and landscape which she approaches from differing non-traditional perspectives. She exhibits in galleries, outdoors and in other locations in Perth, across Scotland and the UK and internationally with residencies which have included stints in Ireland and Japan. Passionate about supporting artists living outside of urban centres, Su has been actively involved in bringing The Creative Exchange to Perth and alongside other interested parties has helped to inform the look of the spaces now available today.
As a tenant of one of the 26 artist’s studios at the Stormont Street premises, Su feels that her new space will allow her, and others, to see their work projected to a larger size. “When you work on a computer screen, you don’t get a sense of how something looks in a bigger context,” she says. “I don’t consider my studio a public exhibition space and although it is my space, I’m happy to make it available to others who want to see how their moving image works look in a bigger setting.” And while Su recognises the value of the marketing opportunities available to her fellow creatives in the building, as a non-commercial artist, she likes the idea simply of a collaborative work space with opportunities to share things like equipment or ideas. “It’s really good to have a place in Perth where artists feel like they belong,” Su adds. “There are so many artists working in rural places but there hasn’t been anywhere for us all to be together. There’s a real feeling of an artistic community. It’s something that happens easily in bigger cities but we haven’t had anything like this in Perth before.” sugrierson.com
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Ceri White
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or ceramicist Ceri White, Perth Creative Exchange provides not just an all-purpose workspace where she is able to craft, create and collaborate, it also helps legitimise the thriving arts industry. “I’ve nearly always worked in small spaces, most recently the wooden garage by my house, but like many artists growing their businesses, these days I need to be more efficient and to have more space and a workable environment,” said Ceri. “I’ve never had a ‘normal’, full-time job but with the Creative Exchange I feel I have a working space which allows me to be more productive and which helps, in many ways, to legitimise my day. As part of the growing arts industry, I’m making a valuable contribution to our economy and it feels good to have that recognition with a space like this.” Having moved to Perthshire 14 years ago from Edinburgh, Ceri was able to make connections with a collective of fellow artists through Perthshire Visual Arts Forum (PVAF) but the group lacked a suitable meeting and collaboration space. “Perthshire is such a large area and there are many artists living and working within it but we just had nowhere to go in Perth itself to plan events and show our work and a lot of effort had to go into collaboration and compromise to get any sort of venue,” explained Ceri. “The idea for the Creative Exchange was many years in the making. Once the building and finance were secured, I was involved in a small way in the public consultation to help guide how the space would look and be received by the community, both artistic and in general.
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“It’s so exciting to have played a small part in the building we have today. We are all very proud of it. It feels like it is ours and I’m grateful for the chance to be in it!” After leaving art school with a BA Honours, Ceri moved around various locations, including Edinburgh, honing her craft before settling in Perthshire. While it provided her with ample open space and outlets for inspiration, working largely on her own had its challenges. “In a city like Edinburgh, it was easier to connect with other artists on a day to day basis – you can share ideas, borrow tools from each other – it helps you to be more productive,” said Ceri. “But in rural areas like Perthshire, working on your own all the time can make you feel a little cut off from society! “Now that we have this collective space, there are ample opportunities for us to come together. You never really know where the next idea might come from but being prepared to be part of that kind of community really makes you step up your game and makes everything more efficient.” Ceri sells her work both locally and UK-wide through galleries and independent shops and has a national and international reach with an online store. Her studio at the Creative Exchange also gives her a place to meet clients and market her work, exhibiting during Perthshire Open Studios and WASPS-designated open weekends. ceriwhitestudios.wordpress.com
Affordable units are now available to let to creative industries and cultural social enterprises at Perth Creative Exchange. Offering flexible lease terms, 24hr secure access, a staffed reception from 9am-5pm, plus cafe and The Famous Grouse Ideas Centre business incubation facility in the building, Perth Creative Exchange is the perfect base to help your creative business flourish.
With 40% of spaces already let, don’t wait to arrange your viewing!
www.waspsstudios.org.uk 0141 553 5890 @waspsstudios
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The Famous Grouse Ideas Centre: A Creative Innovation Lab
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One of the stand-out elements of the Creative Exchange is the Famous Grouse Ideas Centre (FGIC), a unique, innovation hub that brings state of the art technology to businesses and individuals working within the creative industries in Perth and the wider region. Funded in partnership between Perth & Kinross Council, Edrington (Famous Grouse), Scottish Government, European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Scottish Cities Alliance through Smart Cities Programme, the overarching objective of the centre is clear; to make a positive economic, social and cultural impact not only in Perth but across the whole of the Tay Cities Region. Driven by the Invest in Perth team, the FGIC is open to anyone working within the 16 distinct business areas that make up the creative industries in Scotland. There are three key elements to the offer: flexible meeting and event space for hire; access to business and design hardware and software; and dedicated support from the Creative Accelerator Programme. Housed in the former gym hall of the old school building, the FGIC provides 150m² of dedicated space which can be hired for events, meetings, conferences, workshops and training days. Boasting superb connectivity as well as video conference facilities, the aim is to offer additional space for Creative Exchange tenants, as well as attracting bookings from the wider network of creative businesses in the Perth area.
In order to enhance the benefits of the space itself, there is an innovative suite of dedicated support programmes, the most prominent of which is the Creative Accelerator Programme, developed in partnership between Elevator UK, the largest private sector provider of business support in Scotland today, and Perth and Kinross Council. Lynne Martin of Elevator UK commented, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Perth & Kinross Council on the Creative Accelerator Programme, particularly as we’re officially the first main user of the incredible Famous Grouse Ideas Centre. “Scotland as a whole has a focus on supporting the creative industries and has ambitions to become world leaders in policy in this area. The Creative Accelerator community could become a rich resource for gathering data about how these communities of creatives behave as they develop, grow, and mature. “Being such a widespread geographical area, Perth and Kinross is a contrast to the established cultural urban centres of the cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee. We have attracted interest in the Accelerator from across the country. We have had Founders join us from the Central Belt and applications for Cohort 4 ranged geographically from Glasgow to Inverness.” As well as offering space for hire, and the expertise to support and shape the creative industries of the future, the FGIC is also home to an innovation lab which, after
an initial induction, is open to enterprises and individuals working on commercial, educational and artistic projects, particularly those striving to find creative solutions to commercial and civic challenges. Technology within the innovation lab includes a Roland Benchtop UV flatbed printer, VLS Series laser cutter, Ultimaker S5 3D printer, 27inch iMacs with 5k Retina display, 12.9inch iPad Pros, Thinkstation NVIDIA Quadro P4000 Graphics PCs, Epson P9000 large format printer, Promethean ActivPanel and VIVE Pro and Oculus Quest VR headsets. The Invest in Perth team are currently registering interest from individuals and businesses who may wish to hire space within the Famous Grouse Ideas Centre or who seek to access the technology on offer for creative, educational or commercial development. Contact Julie Barnsley on: JBarnsley@pkc.gov.uk Knowledgeable, industry-savvy and wellconnected, the team is your first point of contact for future investment within the area. Our promise is to offer a seamless process and targeted business guidance. We can help you navigate funding and incentive schemes to access new markets in the UK and overseas and will help you to open doors into organisations specialising in research, innovation and skills to ensure you are at the forefront of your chosen field.
InvestInPerth.co.uk
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FEATURE
Distilled Ambition From Perthshire’s Highlands Badvo entrepreneur, Helen Stewart, on how community spirit propelled her into Scotland’s gin industry spotlight
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eritage and history are what brought 24-year-old entrepreneur Helen Stewart back to work at her Highland Perthshire home and those same elements are what instil such a crisp, palpable uniqueness to her 100% hand-foraged gin. Celebrating the countryside from which it is made, Badvo Gin is quite literally steeped in authenticity. Microdistilled in a converted outbuilding on her family’s Pitlochry farm, every intricate stage of its production is done completely by hand – from the foraging for ingredients to the distilling, bottling and labelling.
“I learnt a lot about time management during that time, juggling the farm and distillery and my joint degree. I had my distillery licences and dissertation due the same week,” Helen said. Named after the farm, Badvo is a London Dry style gin, officially launched after Helen’s graduation (her parents made
Currently working on new products, with ambitious plans to build another distillery in the pipeline and with continuing business ties with the University, Helen is entirely settled back in Perthshire, with the area offering everything she needs to support and grow her business as well as providing easy access to the A9 and the transport links which can see her in Glasgow within two hours.
My distillery licence and degree dissertation were due the same week!
After working at a local whisky distillery aged 18, Helen became fascinated by the historic process of distilling and after extensive research, came to realise that she had all the ingredients required – fresh juniper, spring water and other delectable hedgerow details – right there at home to craft a beautiful, bespoke gin. Successfully securing grant funding for the project, Helen began foraging for and making gin in between studying for and attending classes at the University of Glasgow. 14
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her promise she’d complete her degree before embarking on her gin-making career!) The University was so impressed by the product, she was tasked with creating their signature gin, named 1451 after the year the historic seat of learning was founded.
“I found myself gravitating back to this area and returned to it really looking with renewed eyes,” said Helen. “I realised how special this area’s history and heritage are. Of course it is beautiful and peaceful too. I think that mistakenly, younger people think that the only opportunities available for them here in Highland Perthshire are in hospitality but I don’t feel that’s the case. It is possible to have a career in a place like Pitlochry.”
Helen’s family have been integral to the growth of her fledgling business. An old book handed to her by her father revealed that she comes from a long line of innovators who, over the past 400 years, have continually worked to rejuvenate the farm. Her mother now works for her full-time while Helen still works on the farm for her dad.
Jackie Brierton Recognised By Saltire Society
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usinesswoman Jackie Brierton MBE has been honoured and inducted into the revered ‘Outstanding Women of Scotland’ community for her contribution to the growth of Perth and the wider region’s rural economy. Established in 2015 by the Saltire Society, the induction recognises and celebrates Scottish women who have made a significant contribution to Scotland’s culture and society.
“I wanted to get back to that small batch, 100% foraged from the farm, gin. During the warmer months, my mum and I go out each morning and forage – we gather juniper, nettles, honeysuckle, apple blossom and other wild plants and put them straight into the still,” says Helen. “We’re then responsible for bottling and labelling the gin. There’s something physically satisfying about seeing something through from its complete beginning to the end product.” Local businesses wider community up within have immense support
and the she grew provided along the
way, something Helen feels would have been trickier to find in a larger urban setting. “My community has been amazing and so supportive of what I’m doing. It was a steep learning curve going out looking for grants. I found it extremely difficult to be taken seriously as a younger woman in the industry with some people attempting to charge me more or just refusing to work with me. Being able to rely on the steadfast support of my local community has been really valuable.” badvo.com
Jackie was one of ten women selected from across the arts, politics, activism and science to be recognised for their achievements as part of the Women of the World event held in Perth in September 2019. As Chief Executive of the Coupar Angus-based enterprise support group GrowBiz, Jackie oversees the provision of support to rural entrepreneurs at all stages of their business journey. Each year the Outstanding Women of Scotland campaign invites members of the public to nominate living contemporary examples of women who have impacted Scottish culture and society. Previous inductees include singer-songwriter and activist Annie Lennox and bestselling author JK Rowling.
Providing a community-based enterprise support service across rural Perthshire, GrowBiz offers free learning sessions, networking opportunities and business mentoring to new and established rural entrepreneurs and aims to assist with starting, growing and developing business. Among the more than 1000 local firms receiving support from GrowBiz are those in creative services, care and wellbeing, adventure tourism and manufacturing. Jackie said: “It was obviously a great honour to get an award and fantastic to meet the other inductees. It’s particularly important these days that younger women have strong role models. The range of backgrounds of the inductees not just this year but in previous years, helps show young women what is really possible. It’s the old adage of ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’. “I was keen to get across in my acceptance speech that a huge range of diverse enterprise ideas are emerging in rural areas and there are great opportunities out there for women. You don’t have to be a big business to innovate. There are thousands of women doing really creative things.”
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FEATURE
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Building On Tourism’s £618m Economic Boost A new four-year strategy seeks to further grow the pipeline for landmark events
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teeped in history, alive with culture and boasting some of Scotland’s most scenic landscapes, Perthshire has long since been at the forefront of Scottish tourism. As one of the area’s most prominent industries, tourism accounts for 12% of total employment in the area to cover around 8,000 jobs ranging from hotel receptionists to white-water adventure guides, and historical tour operators to award-winning chefs. It is estimated that in 2018 the area received approximately 2.35 million visits which generated an economic impact of over £618 million – a significant 26% increase on the £489 million recorded at the start of the decade, in 2010. Why then, when the UK has faced some of the most challenging economic times in recent history, has Perthshire’s tourism sector remained not just steady but positively buoyant? In 2013 the Council adopted an Events & Festivals strategy that cited ambitious plans to propel the city and its wider area forward into 2020. Set against a backdrop of restored city status, the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles and the emergence of the national themed years for Scotland, the aspiration was to grow the economic contribution large-scale events made to the area.
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VisitScotland Regional Leadership Director, Caroline Warburton commented, “For Scotland, events are acknowledged drivers of visits to a destination and have the added value of creating vibrancy and driving economic benefits for communities, as well as portraying a positive image for the purposes of attracting investment and talent.
tourism portfolio by securing new, largescale events, as well as working internally to develop their own opportunities and ideas. Playing to the strength of the landscape in Perth, the diversity of the area lends itself particularly well to event tourism with well-maintained, sprawling estates, and land owners willing and able to seize the opportunities.
Perth and the wider region boasts a great number of long-standing quality events.
“Perth and the wider area boasts a great number of longstanding, high quality events including the Enchanted Forest, Perth Festival of the Arts and Perth Racecourse’s summer jump season.
“In addition to these, large annual fixtures such as Etape Caledonia and Rewind Festival had just laid down roots in the area, but in the years since they have kept the same groups of loyal fans returning for more of the same. The Council’s strategy at the time aimed to harness these success stories and build on them to ensure longer term sustainability.” The central theme of the strategy was to be “acquisition and growth” – building the
Scone Palace, one of Scotland’s leading 5-star visitor attractions, is an excellent example of how traditional estates can be shaped to support the infrastructure required to become a large-scale event venue. Festivals such as Rewind and BBC Music, Radio 2 and Radio 3’s The Biggest Weekend have national interest, with visitors travelling from across the country, and many opting to stay and spend in the area. With scale often comes profile, and oneoff boons such as Gleneagles playing host to the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup, mean that Perthshire, and therefore Scotland more widely, enjoys a worldwide audience
and the kudos that comes from welcoming such a high calibre of event. This use of events to drive an area’s tourism isn’t just reserved to country estates and largescale festivals. Panorama’s 2019 documentary, “How To Save The High Street” posed interesting questions around the idea of ‘experiences’ as a way to offset the downward trend in traditional retail-driven footfall. Fittingly, it aired just a week before Perth city’s Christmas Lights event, now heralded by many as the country’s leading event of this nature. As the showcase event in their annual Winter Festival, organisers attract a star-studded line-up for the occasion, and have seen a steady increase in footfall over the past five years reaching an
estimated 90,000 visits to the City in November 2019. In 2017, they made the bold move to extend the Winter Festival beyond Christmas and into January, with their Riverside Light Nights extravaganza. This nine-day event overlooks the River Tay on the edge of the city, and now offers a combination of free and paid theme nights, focused on family groups within an hour’s drive time. Attracting some 30,000 visits to the city at a time of year usually reserved for staying indoors, the ambitious move has certainly paid off. Alongside growth, there has also been a renewed focus on sustainability and the effective management and delivery of both boutique festivals and large-scale operations. The team in Perth now has a body of
The Solheim Cup Impact The 2019 Solheim Cup was the 16th edition of the Solheim Cup matches, held from 13th to 15th September at the Gleneagles PGA Centenary Course in Perthshire.
90,000 attendances Direct Economic Impact - £10.89m Total Economic Impact - £11.29m Gross Value Added (GVA) - £4.76m FTEs - 150
Visitor Feedback 84% from the rest of the UK (outside Scotland) expected to return to P&K in the next two years; the corresponding figure for those residing outside the UK was 60%. Around one third of event specific spectators from outside P&K stayed overnight in paid accommodation in the local area (34.5%). Their average duration of stay was around 4.8 nights at an average cost per person per night of £53 on accommodation. The average trip duration across all eligible spectators was 2.7 days/nights and their average daily expenditure in P&K on items other than accommodation (for example: food and drink, shopping, local travel) was around £48 per person.
expertise and knowledge that it is only too willing to share with the multitude of organisers and agencies now knocking on their door. Over the years, Perth and Kinross Council has built solid relationships with the services, agencies and other partners needed to deliver all elements of large scale events, including camping, road closures and on site traders. Within the Council, teams are experienced in the multiple regulatory and licensing responsibilities required to ensure the successful delivery of events, large and small, sporting and music related. Perth and Kinross Council’s Place Development team is now looking to 2024, with a new four-year strategy seeking to build a pipeline of landmark events across the region. With a more cohesive Perth City Plan
in place, the events strategy has become even more closely linked with the wider ambitions of the region. Caroline Warburton agrees, “I have been greatly encouraged by the event tourism success stories in Perthshire of recent years, which all add to the calibre of Scotland’s reputation as the perfect stage to host events of all size and scale, whilst delivering real economic benefits to their local communities. “Moving forward I support the Council’s ambition for the area to develop events and festivals to its strengths in relation to the great outdoors, culture, heritage and food and drink. This will continue to build on the success the area has already experienced and in doing so, will deliver real economic benefits to the local community.”
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Copyright Andy Mackenzie @ www.twenty8media.co.uk
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
Weddings, Weekends And Countryside Pursuits Cardney Estate offers an event venue with a difference in the heart of Perthshire countryside
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hen Katriona and Lewis Cameron decided to transform their enchanting 2,000 acre Perthshire estate into an all-purpose wedding and events venue they wanted to offer guests something different – the chance to create events which could span an entire weekend. With weddings in particular taking hours, months and often years to plan and with guests often gathering from all across the world to celebrate, the Camerons wanted to give happy couples the chance to fully immerse themselves in their wedding weekend through a bespoke range of exclusive services and experiences tailored to take them from Friday through to Sunday.
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public for the first time in summer 2019 with international singer-songwriter, local resident and friend Dougie MacLean doing the ribboncutting honours. For wedding ceremonies, the options are endless. Whether it’s a lochside or woodland wedding ceremony a couple are craving or whether it’s inside, in the Old Mill, the beautifully converted steading where thoughtfully preserved simple stone walls and original beams bathe in natural light to create a breathtaking and original rustic space with all the modern comfort trappings, Katriona and Lewis believe that Cardney Estate has everything to make a special occasion unique.
They realised Cardney had the potential to be much more than just a shooting and farming estate.
“We want to give our couples options so they feel they can really stretch out and enjoy the whole weekend with as little or as much involvement from us as they’d like,” explained Lewis. “If some of the party want to have a clay-pigeon shoot, do some archery or have a horse ride we can organise that or if they’d like a welcome dinner or lazy brunch for up to 18 in the Lodge overlooking the loch, we’ve got it all here on the estate.” 18
And good news – it’s not just weddings that Cardney Estate is offering. Whether it’s a birthday or other special occasion, a corporate or charity event, a concert or any kind of celebration, the flexible set up and multitude of spaces can accommodate both intimate groups or larger parties – all for private use.
Awarded £50,000 from Perth and Kinross’s LEADER funding to diversify their original mixed sporting and farming business and make it more sustainable and to convert one of the traditional farm steadings to create the stunning events venue, Cardney Estate officially threw open its doors to the
“One of the things couples have really liked about the way we do things is that they have the chance to put their own stamp on things. We have kept our décor simple so couples can add their own personal touches if they want,” says Katriona. “And because everything at Cardney is close by, happy couples don’t need to spend too much time away from their guests for photos.
The arrangement of our steading buildings and the closeness to the lochside and woodland area mean that couples and their guests can spend as much time together as possible. At the end of the day, isn’t that what makes a wedding special?”
children, they continued to offer a range of countryside pursuits for guests but the more time they spent living nestled in the Perthshire hills, the more they realised Cardney had the potential to be much more than just a shooting and farming estate.
Doing things “your own way” is very much a theme for events at Cardney and Katriona believes it’s one of the reasons that 80% of couples viewing the property then go on to book their wedding at the estate, with 22 ceremonies already set up for 2020.
It was while attending a rustic, barn-style wedding that Lewis had his ‘Eureka’ moment. A joiner by trade, Lewis had the experience and building know-how to realise the potential of Cardney’s collection of farm buildings. Better still was the realisation that, with all of its other attributes – a stunning loch and woodlands just a stone’s throw away from the buildings – not to mention the estate’s proximity to the A9 – Cardney wasn’t just a viable option for weddings and events, it offered something other rustic venues couldn’t.
“We’d found that many wedding venues use their own suppliers but we like giving couples the chance to choose the suppliers they want although we can of course offer them advice if they require it,” Katriona says. Originally a shooting estate, Katriona inherited Cardney Estate following the death of her father. As a girl, she’d spent many happy years here and as a young woman she divided her time between the estate and helping with her dad’s other business interests. After meeting Lewis, the couple moved to Cardney where, alongside raising their two
“We realised we had something unique here,” Lewis explains. “And once we had worked out the logistics, the ideas just kept on coming. I’ve been known to wake Katriona up in the middle of the night because my head was full of new ideas. She usually made me wait until the morning though to listen to what I had to say,” he laughs.
Looking at the estate and its layout now it’s evident that those ideas have not only come to fruition, but they’ve been bolstered with a practical and thoughtful precision – from the location of the fairy light-strung bar in the central courtyard to the stunning fire-pit and seating area and from the comfy sofas in a chill-out room above the bar area to the exquisite powder room. “People like that we are so centrally located – a perfect in-between for guests coming from up north and those coming from the south or further afield,” says Lewis. “We’re on the Highland fault line so we have the beauty of the hills and are nicely secluded but we’re only 12 miles from Perth and four from Dunkeld.” Cardney is changing the face of traditional country estates and by doing so the Camerons are responding to the needs of a modern clientele by helping curate bespoke events and wedding experiences for guests which are sure to create memories lasting a lifetime.
For more information visit: cardneyestate.co.uk
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LIVING
Gannochy Trust’s £10M Housing Expansion The exemplar project's innovative build sees 48 affordable homes for rent
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ovember 2019 saw one of Perth’s most innovative building developments of recent years come to fruition, as the first tenants of the Gannochy Trust’s £10 million ‘affordable housing to rent’ development took up residency in their new homes. The development is part of a five-year, £25m investment by the Trust in the Perth and Kinross area but arguably, the seeds of this socially astute build started almost 100 years ago when Arthur Kinmond (AK) Bell realised his ambition to provide high quality, affordable homes for working people. As the renowned philanthropist’s first major project, the Gannochy Housing Estate – built between 1923 and 1931 – was an exemplar model scheme with a strong focus on healthy living. The current housing expansion project, which was initiated in 2012 as part of the 75th anniversary of the Trust, has delivered 48 new homes to complement the Trust’s current stock with additional provision for individuals, couples and small families. Thirty-eight two-bedroom homes, six one-bedroom homes and four fully wheelchair-accessible threebedroom homes makes this the largest Gannochy Trust project since Bell’s original development in the 1920s.
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Trustee, Ian McMillan, commented, “The Trustees’ vision was one of a 21st century ‘model’ estate where the residents have a sense of belonging to a community of people with varying levels of ability and which enables their wellbeing. In addition to this, we asked ourselves how we would create a design that would blend the new with the old; we didn’t want a straight copy, but we did want to complement the distinctive character of the original Estate.” As a result of this thinking the expansion is situated on the edge of the existing Estate, sharing Gannochy Road as a link and creating a new ‘loop’ street, Camilla Bell Crescent, named after Bell’s wife who was one of the first Trustees and an influential philanthropist in her own right. The new design includes orientating the houses in a south-west aspect in keeping with the original Estate, and this has been enhanced with the addition of a ‘sit-ooterie’ porch to encourage outdoor-living even in the most unpredictable Scottish weather! Beech hedging remains the boundary treatment of choice, but the sizeable gardens of old have been reduced to offer smaller, easier managed plots.
“We have given great consideration to every decision made in order to uphold AK Bell’s original intention and ethos. As a result, the new sits seamlessly with the old, whilst delivering on the two key ambitions: it should be a good place to live, and should be an exemplar housing project, capable of being replicated by others. “And so, from meaningful community consultations to innovative academic partnerships, enhanced ventilation to a carefully considered site layout, the new development has delivered a lifetime neighbourhood with healthy homes for modern 21st century living.” During their initial research, the Trust found a growing body of evidence to suggest that modern energy-efficient housing is not delivering acceptable indoor air quality. This prompted them into co-funding work with the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre for the Mackintosh Environmental Architecture Research Unit (MEARU) at Glasgow School of Art to develop designs which allowed for enhanced levels of natural ventilation and reduced pollutants from construction materials. On completion of the project the Trust will undertake a two-year monitoring
project with MEARU which will deliver extensive research and evidence for the healthy homes concept, and in time, will be disseminated to the wider housing and construction industry to help inform future housing design and development. Mr McMillan commented, “Creating an energy efficient and sustainable healthy home is an approach which not only addresses some of the most urgent 21st century challenges, but also supports AK Bell’s original ethos of high build quality and good ventilation.” To optimise energy efficiency and appropriate air tightness, the Trust adopted a ‘fabric first’ approach resulting in the use of a breathable wall construction utilising natural woodfibre insulation. In addition, a low-tech ‘passive stack’ ventilation system is incorporated which informs tenants when air quality has dropped allowing them to open secure vents in bedrooms or simply open a window, and also to consider any actions which may have caused the decline.
Exemplar Elements Recreating the ethos of AK Bell’s original ‘model’ estate within a 21st century environment was key to the success of the housing expansion. The three main themes: Healthy Homes for Life, Lifetime Neighbourhood and High Quality Design were used as the basis for many of the over-arching aims and important considerations. For example, the Trust looked at how a healthy home could promote good mental health and tackle social isolation, as well as considering how a lifetime neighbourhood could encourage a greater sense of community. The following elements of design were then incorporated into the build:
Design to Promote Good Mental Health Covered external ‘sit-ooterie’ with south westerly aspect for sunlight, and to encourage neighbourly interaction
Trustees took the opportunity to future-proof the needs of their tenants. Of course, AK Bell’s visionary thinking always stemmed from how he could enhance the life of the people of Perth and from the outset his housing was always about more than innovative building and energy efficiencies. Therefore, Trustees took the opportunity to look further than these basic requirements, and in particular aimed to futureproof the needs of their tenants. By encompassing a set of design standards which have been developed to ensure that homes are accessible and inclusive to everyone, with particular benefits to older people, disabled people and anyone with a physical impairment, the Trust has created a concept of Healthy Homes for Life.
Low window sills to allow views to outside when seated Maximised natural light in living area including rooflights in deep plan areas High ceiling design in living area the ‘lifts the spirits’ Layout of houses to separate main living areas and minimise nuisance noise
Design to Promote a Sense of Community Provision of different types of accessible community greenspaces Greenspaces that link to walks through the wider estate Housing mix provides a wider range of options for tenants as they age so they may remain within the community Trust to act as catalyst for community to develop greenspaces within the new and existing housing estate
Mr McMillan said, “At the Gannochy Estate, we have been delivering high quality affordable housing for almost 100 years. Ensuring the local workforce has healthy homes, a healthy neighbourhood and is mindful of the environment not only ensures you create a vibrant, happy and sustainable place to live, but it also adds to the overall standards and aspirations of the city itself. “We are extremely proud of this latest addition to our Estate, and we also look forward to continuing our investment in the extensive refurbishment of the original 1920s homes.” Invest in Perth Magazine
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WHY CHOOSE PERTH?
George Stubbs: Why Perth Works For Me After 30 years in business, the GS Group MD talks about growing a national company in his home city
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stablished in Perth in 1991 by George Stubbs, GS Group is one of the United Kingdom’s largest insurance brokers with offices throughout Scotland. Having lived in Perth and the wider region most of his life, George chose to lay the foundations of his business here because of his strong focus on community-based insurance and financial services provision. Despite the business growing to incorporate offices in Glasgow, Dundee and elsewhere, the company’s headquarters – and the majority of its staff – remain in Perth. A keen golfer, George is also father to Gareth, Rachael and Emily. We sat down with him to find out what attracted him to setting up a business in Perth and what the area continues to offer in terms of personal and business growth. What are your key products/services? We offer insurance broking and financial services to both business and personal clients across the UK. From small family businesses to larger multinational companies, we aim to deliver robust insurance and risk management solutions. For our personal customers we provide a range of motor, home and travel insurance options. What is the size of your workforce? We have 40 staff based at our headquarters in Perth with the remaining 19 staff between our offices in Glasgow, Dundee, Falkirk and Aberdeen.
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What do you see as the key benefits of being based in Perth and the wider region? Perth has a proud tradition of insurance provision going back to when General Accident was founded in 1885. Ease of access continues to be a great advantage for Perth. We’re within 90 minutes of the major cities. I need to be in London regularly so it helps to be so close to the airports too. How does your location impact on business networking opportunities? As one of the largest independent insurance brokers in the UK and the largest in Perth and the wider region, our location allows us to build strong relationships within our community. We have an openness our clients appreciate – we moved our premises from the town centre to just outside in order to offer parking for our customers. It helps build relationships which in turn, help to build the business. Our clients – and the community – are central to what we do. That’s why it’s important to put back into our community. We’ve done things for different charities over the years and every year our staff are given two days off to support community projects. In what ways does your location afford opportunities for business development? Our business is all about getting the right people – those who share the same ethos and values. Insurance isn’t something that’s necessarily desirable to buy – it’s the people our clients buy so it’s important we have access to quality staff.
We’ve worked hard to bring in and train bright, young people who show initiative and are approachable and passionate about delivering for our customers. This has resulted in consistent growth with the business doubling in size every five years, although ours has been mainly an organic growth not done through acquisitions. What can businesses expect when considering a move to Perth? The location is a key attraction and because of its size, it’s relatively easy to find out who to approach regarding planning decisions etc. There’s a good business community too. In the bigger cities it’s sometimes the case that they can’t see the world beyond that city. I feel that Perth is different in that respect – we are welcoming to newcomers. Perth is also unique in that it has many lovely towns close by so there are great options when moving to the area and choosing somewhere to live. Finally, do you have a favourite spot in Perth? I’m a golfer so I enjoy the access we have to great golf courses. Tay Street is beautiful and I enjoy walking the North Inch too as there’s always something going on. When I was younger, I used to like walking along the riverside there and seeing all the houses on the other side of the water. It was very aspirational for me and I ended up owning one of those houses. gs-group.uk.com
AMBASSADORS The Perth Ambassador programme is now open for applications from senior business leaders and key decision makers working within Perth and the wider region. Born out of the success of the private sector-led City Development board, the programme’s ambitious key objective is to maximise inward investment opportunities through the use of a single, positive narrative - the Story of Perth. By joining the Perth Ambassador Programme today you will become one of the first contributors to shape this new and exciting period, helping to raise the profile of the city, and its best business minds, on the national and international investment stage.
perthlivelifewell.co.uk
Perth: The Place to Grow Your Food & Drink Business in Scotland Perth Food and Drink Park is an exciting, £7.6m development dedicated to supporting Scotland’s growing food and drink industry. Choose from purpose built, high-spec, food standard units and flexible serviced plots for development.
See InvestinPerth.co.uk for full information
