The Perth and Kinross public and business community are being asked to take part in a major consultation exercise that will help to shape the future of the Fair City.

The restoration of Perth's City Status in March 2012 has presented the Council with an opportunity to capitalise on the economic, social and cultural benefits for the whole area that are associated with the prestigious City title.

The consultation exercise will give local people and businesses the opportunity to comment on initial ideas for the city development strategy, and help influence how Perth develops over the next decade.

The Council's aim is to further strengthen Perth's claim as one of the most desirable places in Scotland to live, work, visit and invest in, and the city development strategy will set out how that vision can be achieved. It will be grouped into four key themes which reflect the areas that the Council intends to focus on achieving by 2025:

•A Connected City - Perth's location at the heart of Scotland provides an opportunity to capitalise on our position at the centre of Scotland?s transport network. Improving our infrastructure allows faster and safer access for tourists, employees and residents which will help to expand our economy. We will also work to achieve world-class digital connectivity by improving broadband across the area.

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•A Sustainable City - The City of Perth aims to build on its successes to date in becoming one of the leading sustainable urban areas in Europe. This will be achieved by reducing our carbon footprint, improving energy efficiency within city properties, increasing recycling of household waste and investing in low carbon technologies. This will help to provide new job opportunities and reduce the impact we have on the local environment.

•A Knowledge City - The City of Perth will invest in knowledge, skills and support programmes to allow the public, private and voluntary sector to create products, to work together more effectively and to add value and create wealth. We will improve links between our education institutions and enterprise to increase employment opportunities and develop new industries.

•A Vibrant, Cultural City - The City of Perth will build significantly on its growing reputation as a vibrant place in which to work, live and visit. This is critical if economic benefits of city status are to be maximised. Research demonstrates that vibrant, cultural cities attract new investment and talented people as well as tourists. Perth has a strong sense of place that will be enhanced through planned investment in our city streets and in new and improved cultural and leisure facilities.

The results of the consultation will be reported back to the Council at a future meeting. In late autumn we will hold a Summit for business leaders from across Scotland to discuss the initial results.

Council Leader, Councillor Ian Miller, said: "City status will increase investment in Perth and will generate added benefits throughout Perth and Kinross. More people will choose to live and work in rural Perthshire and Kinross-shire because of the facilities and services on offer in the city. The population of the area is predicted to grow and we want to make it one of the best places in Scotland to live, work and invest."

(CD)