Blairgowrie Regeneration Option

Regarding Allan Seggies review of the consultant’s suggestions for the regeneration of Blairgowrie, Blairgowrie Advertiser letters 6th December. "You might well think that; I couldn’t possibly comment".

I did speak to Roy Sim, Chairman of the initial steering group, last year, when I was looking for a property to start a development strategy business. In respect of previous work, independent assessment suggests ours is second to none in £ for £ terms regarding global influence and cost/benefit analysis, but Blairgowrie Merchants chose to spend their money, without consultation, in the Swansea economy, not Blairgowrie’s.

Some members of the Blair business community did ask why I never raised any points or questions at the meeting. Quite simply Blairgowrie Merchants decided to engage another company, so professionally I kept quiet. Parts of the presentation were smoke and mirrors. If Blairgowrie Merchants had hired an illusionist for the evening to entertain the audience, the last thing they want is another in the audience heckling, "It’s up his sleeve, it’s behind his back".

Living in Blair I would have to say it could do better. So here’s a deal. Celtic Lion will produce a development strategy and do a presentation to regenerate Blairgowrie for £25,000.

This will be the most appropriate, practical, effective, workable, advanced, exciting, blow your socks off, leading edge proposal available anywhere. If it isn’t I will personally sit naked in a set of stocks in the Wellmeadow and Blairgowrie Merchants can charge visitors to throw rotten fruit at me all summer. While I hang my head in shame.

A Blair audience has seen what a Swansea company can do, let’s restore the balance, have some pride in the town and allow a Blairgowrie company to show what it can do. Astute business people will have realised £25k is a bargain. Producing development models requires initial but reassessable goals. I would suggest consider putting an extra £25k a day into the local economy a realistic initial goal. Would a supermarket consider 1000 customers a day spending an average £25 a viable proposition?

£25k a day over a 5 year project is £45.5 million. Project initiation and conceptualisation being only 0.05% of total return based on the initial development model. Those taking the logic to the next step will have realised Blair gets the most advanced appropriate development strategy for free. By using a local company the money is spent in the local economy, reinvested and contributes to the goal attainment.

Blairgowrie Merchants please consider local expertise and services first.