Perth FM News - 10th of March 2010

Perth City Hall - Have your say

People who have not yet participated in the public consultation on the future of Perth City Hall are being urged to take part as the process enters its last few days. The four-week consultation, during which Perth & Kinross Council has been seeking a wide range of views on potential uses for the building, ends next Monday. Five options for the future of the building are being explored through the consultation, to help the Council these include to re-use City Hall for another purpose, to completely demolish City Hall to create a large new public space or to do nothing and leave the city hall as it is. To have your say an online survey is available to fill in on the Council website at www.pkc.gov.uk/perthcityhall

Engineering firm charged for pollution

A civil engineering firm was fined £3000 at Perth sheriff court yesterday after it admitted releasing a toxic chemical pollutant into the River Tay. At least 120 litres pesticide calcium polysulphide was released into waterwaysaround Perth after a spillage from Battlebay Farm around 6km north of the town where I and H Brown were working. The chemical killed invertebrate wildlife and threatened fish stocks while there were also concerns it would impact on Perths water supply.I and H Brown escaped a heavy fine after Sheriff Michael Flethcher accepted the spillage had been made by mistake by an experienced company with no previous convictions and a history of working safely with dangerous substances.

Kinross textile company reports rise in pension liabilities

A Kinross-based textile company Dawson International has reported its pension liabilities have almost trebled in the past year to £19.3m. In a statement, Dawson said that the increase in liabilities was due to lower corporate bond yields and increased estimates of life expectancy. The group said the escalation of the pension deficit, from £6.7m to £19.3m, represented a significant challenge for its UK businesses and was likely to prevent it from making any new acquisitions. The company said it was in talks with pension trustees and the regulator to agree a way forward.