The majority of Aberdeenshire’s major town centres are dirty and unclean, an annual health check of the region’s communities has found.
Detailed studies were first undertaken in 2003 through a combination of visits by officials and surveys with residents and businesses.
They enable Aberdeenshire Council to analyse the factors that contribute to successful town centres and indicate good standards of vitality and viability.
The authority says maintaining town centres’ attractiveness, activeness and accessibility is “vital” if the region is to thrive.
The findings from the latest health check, drawn from 2023 and 2024, have now been published and identify a number of positive aspects for every major town in the region.
But no matter the community, the findings reveal a shared concern over the standard of cleanliness in major public areas.
A check-up for each town centre
In all, 22 towns had a “check up”, including Aberdeenshire’s nine “principal” settlements and Macduff, which is classed as a “regeneration town”.
Due to their locations on the North Sea coast, Aberdeenshire’s biggest town Peterhead, as well as Fraserburgh, Banff and Macduff, all had problems with bird mess identified.
Peterhead
Pavement cleanliness attracted a large number of comments through the 2023 surveys.
The main theme coming through was the desire to see much more regular cleaning of the pavements, especially through the summer months, when bird fouling is a particular issue.
One individual described the cleanliness of the pavements as “shocking” and “totally filthy”, with gum and weeds also aggravating locals.
Fraserburgh
Like its Buchan neighbours, there was a strong desire to see pavements better maintained to ensure they are free from bird fouling and weeds.
One local who took part in the health check said that the town’s pavements are “covered in bird mess” and “dirty”.
They urged Aberdeenshire Council to do more to keep them clean.
It is hoped cleaner streets would help to improve the overall attractiveness of the town centre and potentially encourage more people to visit.
Banff’s winged residents blamed for cleanliness issues
Banff
Weeding of pavements and the removal of bird mess was a strong desire from the Banff community.
These concerns were echoed by observations made during council site visits to the town, with the local authority admitting that addressing these issues would have a positive impact on the town centre.
Others, however, spoke positively of Banff’s cleanliness, with one individual saying that the streets are “clean”, despite the town having an “identity issue”.
Another said a cleaner centre would encourage more businesses to set up home there.
Macduff
The attractiveness of the town received negative feedback in the 2023 business and community surveys, with a strong community desire for a general cleanup to improve the area.
It is hoped these efforts would not only make the town more attractive for investment but also enhance the experience for local residents.
One person who participated in the feedback described the pavements as being “filthy with gull droppings” in some areas, arguing they “need cleaned”.
How does the health check work?
The Aberdeenshire Council health is undertaken in five stages, beginning with officials gathering useful background information on each town centre.
Surveys of members of the public and the business community are then carried out.
The survey asked questions on several different topics and provided respondents the opportunity to identify what improvements they would like to see to the town centre.
Council officers also visited the various town centres at different times of the day to look at footfall and traffic.
Data experts also visited all 22 town centres during September last year to record an array of information.
Stonehaven
Sticking with coastal towns – albeit in the south of Aberdeenshire – Stonehaven, like its northern counterparts, has issues with street cleanliness.
Several comments noted that the town centre would greatly benefit from a deep clean to enhance its overall appeal, with the report noting that there are “some areas where cleaning would be beneficial”.
The voluntary group Stonehaven Horizon was praised for its work in looking after planters, which a number of people identified as “adding to the overall attractiveness” of the town centre.
Residents tell of pride in Inverurie
Inverurie
The council area’s second biggest town, Inverurie is well-known for having a thriving centre, boasting a number of successful businesses.
And the health check found a general air of positivity among local people about their community.
The survey indicated that both the quality and cleanliness of pavements received positive scores, with just over 70% of respondents rating them as good or neutral.
One respondent described it as being “a lovely clean town centre”, and another added “The town always feels safe to me and always looks clean and tidy”.
It was not totally exempt from calls for improvements, however, with the council’s site visit noting areas within the town centre where weeds are beginning to grow along the edges of the pavements.
The report said addressing these issues would “greatly enhance” the overall appearance of the area.
Ellon
Council officer site visits and responses to surveys revealed a mixed but largely positive view of Ellon town centre.
There were areas noted as requiring maintenance, as weeds were growing at the edges of the pavements.
But a popular view was of Ellon being “clean, appealing and a pleasant place to visit”.
Banchory
The community perception of the quality and cleanliness of Banchory was generally positive, with most respondents in the 2023 survey rating it as good or neutral.
A few areas on High Street and Dee Street being identified as having uneven pavements that could benefit from improvement.
Most areas were, however, described as clean and of good quality.
Call for improvements to public seating
Turriff
Pavement cleanliness was assessed positively during the site visit by Aberdeenshire Council, although several areas could benefit from street cleaning.
It was noted that some improvement could be made by addressing weed growth in certain areas.
Public seating in Turriff was found to be generally in good condition, with the exception of that on the High Street – near the Turriff Museum and Heritage Centre in particular – which could benefit from cleaning.
Huntly
According to one respondent, Huntly “feels safe, clean and family oriented”, though another described the town’s pavements as being “awful and dirty”.
There were also complaints that it was largely left to the public to clean them.
The report noted that some problem areas appeared to have been addressed since being highlighted in the 2023 health check.
Many respondents echoed these observations, highlighting the need for cleaning and general maintenance, including the removal of weeds, with one stating that seating is “frequently dirty” as chewing gum stuck to it.
As well as the major towns, eight “academy towns” have a biannual health check, with these first starting in 2022, while four additional “non-academy towns” were surveyed for the first time.
‘Regular health checks provide us with a meaningful local evidence’
Aberdeenshire Council’s head of planning and economy, Paul Macari, said: “Regular health checks provide us with a meaningful local evidence base of the strengths and weaknesses of our town centres.
“This is used in several ways, including informing our development plans and decision-making on future planning applications.”
Conversation