A north-east councillor has made a fresh bid to block controversial plans to revamp a town centre building.
Ian Tait claims a proposed rusted steel facade at the old police station in Fraserburgh would be a “scar on the face of the port”.
He has been a fierce critic of the designs tabled by Moxon Architects – which have already been approved by Aberdeenshire Council officials.
The rusty rain-screening mesh would be attached to the former police station building in Kirk Brae as part of a wider regeneration programme.
Councillor Tait has now written to fellow elected members across Aberdeenshire as part of his campaign to have the plans brought before the local authority’s Banff and Buchan area committee to be amended.
He says the rusted metal would make the building a “monstrosity”, and said that while councillors were briefed on the proposals in November, no agreement was reached to approve the scheme.
“The committee explicitly did not approve the exterior finishes,” he said.
“The committee approved of the interior finishes but did not approve the exterior finishes – no doubt because I had expressed my opposition to the rusted steel monstrosity.
“My constituents who live on the Castle Street estate are going to have to look at this hideous monstrosity every day.
“We should be trying to brighten up our housing estates and not make them even more depressing.”
The revamp scheme, part of a wider £5.7million regeneration drive in Fraserburgh, is aimed at creating a new “front of house” for the council at the police station and Town House in Saltoun Square.
Ben Addy, who established Moxon in 2004, has said the design is meant to be “welcoming”.
Council area manager Margaret-Jane Cardno has also defended the project, saying that no representations objecting to it were received while the planning application was live.
“It is recognised the design is bold, as it was intended to be,” she added.
“The correct process has been followed to reach this point, where substantial funding is in place, plans are approved and work is due to start.”