Perth and Kinross Council spent just £150 on paving in parks and open spaces in 2024

Perth and Kinross Council spent just £150 on paving in parks and public open spaces in 2024, one of the lowest figures recorded in the UK.

However the local authority has hit back saying the spend does not include £250,000 allocated for unpaved paths, using crushed stones, over the past three years.

The figures were obtained via a Freedom of Information request, made by London-based company Stoneworld to over 100 councils across the UK.

According to Stoneworld, responses to the requests made to local authorities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland found “stark inconsistencies in how councils are prioritising the upkeep of paved surfaces in public spaces, with annual spend ranging from as little as £347 in some areas to more than £3.8m in others”.

Stoneworld said its request found PKC spent £38,600 on paved and hard surface areas in its parks and public open spaces in 2022, £37,000 of which was for the Heather Gardens path project. In 2023 this fell to £9,176 in 2023, “before collapsing to just £150 in 2024, a single contribution towards path infrastructure repairs in Comrie”. In 2025 £6,056 was spent on slabs in Kinross.

Stoneworld’s Ellie Parker is concerned the sharp decline raised questions about whether deferred maintenance could result in higher costs further down the line.

She said: “When councils do invest in public realm repairs, material choice matters enormously. Historically, British stone and York stone in particular became the default for public paving precisely because of its longevity and low whole-life cost. Many of the flagstones laid a century ago are still in service today. The irony is that councils spending small amounts repeatedly on reactive repairs with cheaper materials are often spending more in the long run than those who specify quality from the outset.”

However PKC said the figures did not reflect its six-figure spending on paths over the past three years.

A Perth and Kinross Council spokesperson said: “We are committed to ensuring our public spaces and green spaces are accessible and enjoyable for all.

“Our FOI response provided specific detail about hard paved surfaces, such as paving slabs or tarmac in parks only, which accounted for the £150 figure.

“Those surfaces don’t include all our paths in parks and open spaces, many of which are made of crushed stone. Non-recurring funding of £160,000 was made available for that type of path repair and upgrade of the Loch Leven Heritage Trail as a partnership project with TRACKS (The Rural Access Committee for Kinross-shire).

“This funding was split equally at £53,000 per year over the last three financial years, including this one.

“In addition, a further £8,000 of capital resource was spent on upgrading similar footpaths on Kinnoull Hill in Perth during 2025/26.

“In 2023/24 and 2024/25 a total of £28,000 was also contributed to the repair and upgrade of Ben y Vrackie path, delivered in partnership with Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust and the community.”