Perth & Kinross Council has welcomed the progress being made on a wide range of action to support and regenerate Coupar Angus over the last 12 months under a strategy to transform the town.

The Plan outlines the ambition to create a "sustainable and vibrant place that attracts people to the town" and supports regeneration of the local economy, buildings and community organisations.

Extensive public consultation on the Plan took place between November 2022 and March 2023. Community views were gathered from a survey completed by 171 individuals, and in-depth discussions were held with representatives of more than a dozen community groups and organisations.

The Plan's aims include improving the employability skills of local people, helping tackle poverty, improving physical and mental health, supporting community development and making Coupar Angus a sustainable place.

Some notable successes have been achieved in the first 12 months of the Plan:

• The Community Council has been established and meets regularly.

• Strathmore Hub secured PKC Community Investment funding for a community cinema pilot.

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• The Council's Community Learning and Development (CLD) Team have delivered two 8-week employability courses. The Team also runs weekly adult learning drop-ins at the Strathmore Hub.

• PKC's Welfare Rights Team is delivering monthly outreach sessions in Coupar Angus, helping local people to claim the benefits they are entitled to.

• A weekly Advice & Information Hub is held weekly by the Health & Social Care Partnership at Strathmore Hub, helping people link to local services.

• The SENsations group for local children with additional support needs has been supported to become established.

• Strathmore Hub secured PKC Warm Welcome funding for delivery of warm space activities over the winter months.

• The local Pride of Place Bloom Group are very active and have carried out improvements around the town, supported by the Council's Greenspace Team.

• Fly tipping in Larghan Park is being tackled.

Convener of Housing and social Wellbeing, Councillor Tom McEwan, said: "The first year of the Coupar Angus Improvement Plan has seen a great deal of work carried out to by local people in partnership with the Council and community partners to help make the town a great place to live and work.

"All this work was developed from what local people, businesses and community organisations told us they wanted to see for their town, and the last 12 months has been a tremendous start.

"Implementing this Plan for Coupar Angus will be an evolving process, and over the next few years additional actions are likely to emerge. New themes can also be identified, to reflect any changing circumstances and needs identified by local people.

"Under the Plan we want to help local businesses to offer more employment, improve local public transport, support people's health and wellbeing, bring empty properties in the town back into use, support new housing and businesses and attract more people to Coupar Angus.

"I look forward to continuing our work with the Coupar Angus community towards releasing these ambitions for the town."