Town centre improvement funding approved in Aberdeenshire and the Highlands

The first grants from a multi-million pound fund for town centre improvement projects in Aberdeenshire and the Highlands have been approved.The Scottish Government announced a £50 million Town Centre Fund in December to drive local economic activity and to stimulate and support economic improvements.Aberdeenshire Council’s share is £3.28m and its infrastructure services committee (ISC) was given details of successful funding bids to date.Cash from the fund has to be legally committed by March 2020, so given the time constraint, consultation with councillors, business associations, community groups and services within Aberdeenshire Council identified several projects ready to be delivered.The criteria set for the fund included the deliverability of the project, sustainability and transformation to the key town centres of Aberdeenshire. A specially constituted panel considered projects which would stimulate and support a wide range of investments, encouraging town centres to diversify and flourish.At its first meeting last week, the panel granted funding to ten projects worth £2.7m, the majority worked up by groups independent of the council.Banchory Museum, Banchory Transformation and re-design of existing library and museum building to a multi-purpose cultural and visitor centre Aberdeenshire Council (Live life Aberdeenshire) £478,000Bridge Street, Banff Public Realm Improvement Scheme linking up strategic regeneration projects and key areas of the town. Aberdeenshire Council (Delivery Team) £709,030The Hive, The Square, Huntly Huntly and District Development Trust have purchased the former RBS building in Huntly square and are looking to redevelop it into a co-working shared space. The Hive will provide high quality, affordable, environmentally sound and attractive workspace which can be rented on a flexible basis. It will also offer meeting space with technology for conference meetings and workshops and will include support services aimed at Business Development, growth and networking. Huntly and District Development Trust £117,263John Trail Hotel Project, Fraserburgh The proposed project will see the derlecit building at 3-13 Mid Street, Fraserburgh fully restored and brought back into productive use as a small hotel. NESPT 476,10030, The Square, Huntly Huntly and District Development Trust has plans to purchase and re-develop this substantial prominent three-storey town centre building into a mixed use space. On completion, Number 30 will house retail and test trading spaces of varying flexible sizes, a Huntly Heritage Centre, café, visitor information centre, exhibition space, a cinema/lecture theatre, community events space and some office accommodation. Huntly and District Development Trust with partners £225,000Peterhead CCTV CCTV, circulated throughout the defined BID area of Peterhead town centre, linking to the police station. Rediscover Peterhead £79,000Huntly Heart, Huntly Deveron Projects intend to purchase the former Square Deal in Huntly Square (application pending approval from the Scottish Land Fund). The upstairs will be converted into accommodation and artists residence and the ground floors will become the ‘living room of the town’, incorporating various projects and events including the town is the garden project and a proposed heritage bakery project, creating a welcoming space for visitors and residents alike. Deveron Projects £227,992Drummers Corner, Peterhead This Public Realm enhancement project aims to install a replacement performance drum and an upgrade to seating and lighting adding new artwork to the area to improve aesthetics. Aberdeenshire Council £145,000Car Parking contactless infrastructure To upgrade all town centre car parking infrastructure to a contactless system. Reduced parking costs for medium length stays along with the contactless payments will make payments easier and quicker, making parking more accessible and increasing town centre dwell times. Aberdeenshire Council £66,660Grow Banff @ the Vinery, Banff The application to the SG TC Fund is for the first phase of the Grow Banff @ The Vinery project to re-develop the Vinery site into a flagship site within Banff for community-led regeneration which will improve health and wellbeing, increase skills, provide new opportunities for enterprise and encourage tourism. Aberdeenshire Council £242,832The panel will meet to decide the second round of funding awards in June, and with the fund over-subscribed with eligible projects competition will be high.Meanwhile members of The Highland Council’s environment, development and infrastructure committee have welcomed £2,965,000 of new funding to stimulate economic investments in Highland town centres – the 5th highest allocation in Scotland.In line with the council’s commitment to localism and to bring decision-making closer to communities local area committees will take on the role of identifying and recommending which projects receive funding.Based on funding distribution methodology used by The Scottish Government but amended to give each area committee a base allocation and to reflect the importance that Thurso and Wick make to the Caithness community, indicative area allocations have been identified as follows:Badenoch and Strathspey Area Committee – £265,289Caithness Committee – £265,290City of Inverness Area Committee – £596,901Isle of Skye and Rasaay Committee – £198,967Lochaber Committee – £198,967Nairnshire Committee – £198,967Ross and Cromarty Committee – £928,513Sutherland Committee – £198,967