New £1bn community project approved in Perth

The award-winning builder submitted the master plan for the £1bn project, Bertha Park which covers an area of 333 hectares, in summer last year, and Perth and Kinross Council have just approved the Bertha Park community plans.

A detailed plan of Bertha Park phase one, expected to be assessed by a committee next month, is likely to begin in 2017 with 1,100 new homes including private, affordable and retirement accommodation. The homes detailed for the first phase will suit a wide range with two-bedroom apartments and two-, three- and four-bedroom detached and semi-detached homes.                

Springfield has taken inspiration from Perth and the surrounding towns and villages to achieve a traditional look and feel for Bertha Park. Careful planning has been carried out to ensure each home will be easily accessible to green space and that the build will be highly energy efficient, meaning lower energy bills for the homeowner while reducing households’ environmental impact.

Springfield transformed the former green belt site proposing a new community including 25 hectares of employment land, a new primary and secondary school as well as shops, restaurants, medical, leisure and community facilities. The development will be built over 30 years, creating more than 2,000 new jobs as well as sustaining hundreds more in the local area.

The £1bn development is going to coincide with improvements to the road infrastructure with the introduction to the Cross Tay Link Road which will be integrated through the site, relieving local traffic congestion and providing access to the new area. The plans for the secondary school are already underway with an anticipated completion of the 2018 academic year.

Springfield managing director, Innes Smith says: “We are delighted with today’s decision. This is a big step forward in a 30 year project and the result of five years of planning and design in partnerships with Perth and Kinross Council. We have set our sights on delivering an exceptional place for people to live and work and we are excited to be bringing Springfield’s award winning homes to Perth. We are on track to start building in 2017, initially creating around 450 new jobs and supporting many more.”