Elected members agreed in September 2020 to set a Budget for one-year covering 2021/22 and last month voted to freeze Council Tax charges for 2021/22.

Perth & Kinross Council faces pressures of around £17m in its 2021/22 budget, both in the cost of delivering essential services to local communities and from the unprecedented financial uncertainty created by the Covid pandemic in terms of the council’s future income and expenditure.

These pressures will be managed through budget savings, additional Scottish Government funding and the use of council reserves. Councillors will consider the available options at the meeting on March 10.

The council’s reserves position will also be considered at this meeting of the council. Councillors are being asked to approve a temporary reduction in unallocated reserves to help meet current budget pressures.

Barbara Renton, interim chief executive, said: “The past 12 months have been the most challenging this Council has faced because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Like every other local authority, we have had to respond quickly to an ever-changing set of circumstances and officers are recommending a prudent and cautious approach to setting the Revenue Budget because of the unknown and enduring impact of the virus.

“Unfortunately, loss of income and rising costs means we are proposing to increase fees and charges in some areas, although we have kept these as low as is possible.

“Nevertheless, we remain in a positive position: there will be no rise in Council Tax this year, and this Budget will place us in the best position to provide the essential services our communities rely on over the next 12 months and plan for the future.”

Public consultation on the Budget took place between November and December last year.