Councillors Defer Mental Health Plans

Plans to build new mental health facilities at Murray Royal Hospital in Perth have been put on hold. The application by NHS Tayside to replace existing, outdated buildings had been recommended for approval.

But members of the local community raised a number of concerns including personal safety and the impact on listed buildings on the site.

This week Perthshire councillors agreed to defer a decision on the application to allow further consultation. Bridgend, Gannochy & Kinnoull Community Council also raised concerns about land in the application which had been deemed as surplus and could be sold off.

On Wednesday, more than 200 members of the community attended a meeting of Perth and Kinross Council’s development control committee where councillors voted eight to three in favour of deferring a decision on the application.

Richard Salvin, chairman of community council, welcomed the decision. He said: “This gives us the opportunity to discuss with NHS Tayside how best to go ahead with the site. We don’t want to see land being sold off for housing and we would like to see the listed buildings being used as a health centre. We would like to see the whole site being used for health care.”

However, NHS Tayside assistant chief executive Danny McLaren said he was disappointed and would be seeking an early meeting with council officials. He said: “We felt we had provided Perth and Kinross Council with all the information we had been advised was necessary.”