Information for Scott Street/ South Street residents

Resident updates

During the recent resident drop-in meetings we were asked to more regularly share information with impacted residents ahead of it going public. To support this we have set up an email newsletter which will be issued weekly in the first instance. We have a limited number of contact email addresses for residents around the Scott Street site, so if you have not yet shared your email address and wish to sign up to receive it directly, please speak to your Council contact or email communications@pkc.gov.uk.

Financial support

As you may be aware, at a meeting of Perth and Kinross Council on 18 June 2025 Councillors agreed to allocated £250,000 of funding to support financial assistance to residents and businesses impacted by the fire. This was an initial funding allocation in recognition of the need for support which had already begun through the Council's Welfare Rights and Housing Teams.

Funding has already been paid out through applications from those impacted to the Scottish Welfare Fund and Financial Insecurity Fund. Applications to those funds from residents impacted by the Scott Street incident are in no way means-tested. The test for funding is based on the severity of the circumstances and disregards income and savings.

For residents

Scottish Welfare Fund

Applicants for the Scottish Welfare Fund must be aged 16 years or over and be entitled to access public funds in Scotland.

Apply online or call 01738 476900 and select option 2 when prompted.

Financial Insecurity Fund

Households with no recourse to public funds can apply to the Financial Insecurity Fund.

Apply online or call 01738 476900 and select option 1 when prompted.
 
As both funds are existing schemes you will see questions in the online form related to income and asking for bank statements etc. As applications in relation to Scott Street are not means-tested you will not need to supply these. However, as a fraud prevention measure you will be asked to supply a form of identification, such as the first page of a bank statement showing name and address. If you have any difficulties providing this please speak to your housing support contact or phone and speak to a member of the Welfare Rights Team using the phone numbers above. 

Donations

A number of residents and businesses have made offers of donations in relation to both goods and cash. We are co-ordinating the offers of goods with the needs of those impacted, please do raise through your housing support/ Council contact if there are particular items you need in case there are existing donations which could be matched to this.

There have also been community fundraising efforts ongoing, including a raffle to raise funds organised by The Old Ship Inn in Perth and a GoFundMe online fundraiser organised by a local resident. The organisers are arranging for this money - around £10,000 in total - to be transferred to the Council's Welfare Trust so that it can be used to support those impacted.

In the first issue of the resident update newsletter we have asked impacted residents for views on how these donated funds should be distributed and will provide further updates based on those responses.

Business support

Criteria has been established for a Business Hardship Fund for businesses closed as a result of the fire. Details of this fund are being directly shared with the eligible businesses by our Economic Development Team. They can be contacted at businessdevelopment@pkc.gov.uk.
 
As the road/pavement closures associated with the building demolition are impacting on customer numbers for businesses in the area there is a promotional campaign ongoing on our Perth City and Towns (opens new window) social media channels to encourage people to visit and support those businesses.

Progress update

The demolition work continues on the fire-damaged building at the corner of Scott Street and South Street, with work well underway. Updates from last week:

• Work began to reduce the height of the building from the South Street side. This approach is intended to support reducing the overall cordon required and return residents and businesses from the periphery as soon as possible. We will keep you up-to-date on progress.
• Falling debris from within the site during demolition remains an ongoing issue which is why the cordon remains in place at the current level.
• Managed, timed and co-ordinated access for residents and business owners to retrieve essential items from properties within the cordon is continuing. Due to the risks of falling debris and the hazards associated with the demolition every time access is arranged work on the site needs to stop. We are continuing to work with the contractor to balance the access needs of residents and businesses with the wish to progress the demolition work as quickly as is safe.

Council staff are working with the Association of British Insurers to understand the needs of individual insurance companies, which include managing requests for access for loss adjusters to allow claims to be progressed as quickly as possible. 

Sources of support

Financial advice

• Welfare Rights - for a free, confidential and impartial benefits advice, information and appeal representation service
• Council Tax - to report changes in circumstance or apply for discounts and exemptions
• Perth Citizens' Advice Bureau (opens new window) - for free, impartial and confidential advice on a range of issues

Housing advice

If your current accommodation arrangements change and you need additional support please contact our Housing Support Team on 01738 476000.

Mental health and wellbeing

• The Lighthouse for Perth - crisis support for anyone aged aged 12+, call freephone 0800 121 4820 or email help@lighthouseforperth.org
• The Neuk - crisis support and mental health resources and referrals, call 01738 718070 or email support@theneuk.org
• Mindspace - from counselling services to peer support from aged 8, contact 01738 639647 or email info@mindspacepk.com

Other support

• Skills and Employment Support - free support and advice to job seekers with employability and skills development
• Independent Advocacy Perth and Kinross - confidential and free service to help safeguard your rights, call 01783 487887 or email enquiries@iapk.org.uk
• Drug and Alcohol Team - free support for people who are using drugs and/or alcohol to help them make positive changes to their lives