Parks, community centres and youth groups in Aberdeen are in line for a surprise £565,000 funding bonanza from the city council.
Revamps will be carried out at Seaton Park, Hazlehead Pets Corner and the Transition Extreme sports facility as part of the spending round.
Councillors from the local authority announced the move at a meeting of the finance committee yesterday.
The money is available after the council reported a £7.5million underspend in its budget from last year.
The decision to allocate £565,000 was unveiled on the day the Press and Journal revealed that a new Audit Scotland report had praised the council’s record of “sound financial management” in the years since it was found to be on the brink of bankruptcy in 2008.
Seaton Park is in line for a £100,000 revamp, a park at Auchmill Terrace will get £25,000, Cairncry Community Centre will receive £45,000 and gardens at Halfield Road will get £3,000.
A further £100,000 will go towards improvements at Hazlehead Pets Corner, with £40,000 earmarked for work on the David Welch Winter Gardens Education Room at Duthie Park.
Youth work and under-12s clubs across the city will benefit from £100,000, while the same amount will go to Transition Extreme.
Hilton Outdoor Centre is poised to receive £25,000 for upgrades, £10,000 will go to the Men’s Shed social club charity in Dyce, the city’s two Sea Cadets groups will share £10,000, and Old Torry Community Centre will receive £7,000 for an internal improvement scheme.
Finance committee convener Willie Young said: “The financial prudence of this council has allowed us to spend sums of money on a whole range of schemes which are important for our communities.
“The Accounts Commission local authority watchdogs will soon publish a best value report which highlights the fact that Aberdeen City Council now has a record of sound financial management, with strong balances and with healthy reserves to allow us to plan strategically for the future.
“The care we have taken with citizens’ money has given us this opportunity to focus on the needs of many communities across Aberdeen.
“These sums will make a big difference to very many areas and help to improve the lives of the people who live there.”
Hazlehead councillor Martin Greig welcomed the funding for the Pets Corner.
“This cash will make a really welcome difference in upgrading Pets Corner. It has been a greatly loved place and we have ambitious plans to upgrade and reopen the building.”