Perth and Kinross Council has amassed almost £600 million-worth of debt, according to new data

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Perth and Kinross Council has amassed almost £600 million-worth of debt, according to new data.PKC has justified the astronomical sum as showing its ambition and said it keeps all its borrowings under review.The figures, collated by the BBC, show Perth and Kinross Council residents are the fifth worst off in Scotland and 14th worst off in the UK in terms of the rate per capita.According to BBC analysis of data from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, local authorities in the UK are £122 billion in debt, with UK councils owing a combined £97.8bn to lenders.This works out at an average of £1455 per person.PKC is well over double the national average at £3897 per person.Perth and Kinross – with a population of 153,810 – has accumulated £599.4m-worth of debt in 2023/24.The BBC analysed 380 local authorities in the UK.

In Scotland, only Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Aberdeen City, East Lothian and West Dunbartonshire councils have amassed a higher average debt per resident than Perth and Kinross.The highest rate in the UK was achieved by Woking, with a debt of £18,756 per resident.

Woking is one of several English councils which recently had to issue a section 114 notice.A Section 114 notice is a last resort for a local authority as it restricts all new spending with the exception of protecting vulnerable people and statutory services.Scottish councils cannot issue a 114 notice.PKC has justified its borrowing as showing the council’s ambition in its multi-million capital budget for building projects.Money has been borrowed to fund major projects such as the £150m Cross Tay Link Road, £80m replacement Perth High School and £27m Perth Museum.A PKC spokesperson said: “In the main, Perth and Kinross Council