Councillors will be given the opportunity to have their say on major conservation plans for Fraserburgh’s town centre when they meet today.
The Banff and Buchan area committee’s elected members will be asked to provide comments on plans to protect and regenerate the heart of the town by designating it a conservation area.
Aberdeenshire Council hope to safeguard Fraserburgh’s shopping district, from High Street down through Broad Street, which would provide funding opportunities for owners of historic buildings.
The local authority has already submitted funding bids to Historic Scotland and the Heritage Lottery Fund to support regeneration works in the proposed area.
Infrastructure chief Stephen Archer says in his report: “The draw down request to Historic Scotland and Heritage Lottery Fund is in the region of £2.8 million. If successful the value of the total scheme is likely to be in the region of £5 million.”
The council will provide the project with £1m of its own funding over the one year developmental phase and its five year delivery.
Further consultations on the conservation area plans are expected to take place ahead of a formal designation in early 2015. When completed, the authority would be obliged to protect the area’s character and appearance, and take steps to enhance them where possible.
Local councillor Charles Buchan last night welcomed the proposal, saying it would provide a boost to property owners who were keen to improve their shop frontages and building appearance. He said: “I’ve been pushing for this since I was elected two years ago. It seems amazing to me how a town like Fraserburgh, with its historic standing, hasn’t got its town centre registered for conservation status.
“It’s envisaged that property owners who wish to take advantage of the funds will only have to cover a small amount of the cost. In some cases, they’ll be able to apply for up to 80%. One of the major complaints people have is that properties look run down – so this will be a great advantage.”
Funding will be also used to support regeneration in a wider sense, boosting town centre businesses with training opportunities for employees.