Elgin’s £20 million cash boost: What YOU would like to see the money spent on

With £20 million able to spent on improving Elgin, there was always bound to be a range of views of where the money is needed most.

Plans are currently being drawn up after Moray Council was given the funding boost from the UK Government.

Elgin secured the money as part of a conference pledge from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for “run-down towns”.

The town centre, Cooper Park, Elgin Town Hall and Grant Lodge are among the projects already being considered for the money.

However, that hasn’t stopped social media users from sharing their own ideas for where they would like the money spent.

You can have your say in the comments section below.

‘Tidy up our town!’

Improvements to the High Street and the wider town centre are undoubtedly at the top of people’s wish list for Elgin for the £20 million.

Moray Council has plans to try and encourage businesses and residents to move into some long-term vacant and eyesore properties.

Many people have also called for action to control gulls, which is also included in the authority’s town centre masterplan.

And several on social media hoped the money would be spent wisely to make the High Street a more attractive place to shop and do business.

Gwendolene Ewing wrote: “Clean up the empty properties up the High Street to make it attractive for shops to stay, instead of high rents that discourages people.”

Fleur Hameline Stewart posted: “Refurbishing the empty buildings above the shops in the High Street to make flats, which would hopefully lower the rental price for shops then attract more shops.

“With more people living in the centre they would go to those shops more often.”

There were also calls to make the town centre more accessible for cyclists and those who use wheelchairs and more benches for people to sit.

And others wanted lower parking charges, enhanced street cleaning and more security.

Kirsty Reid added: “Invest in Moray Leisure, a facility that is heavily used by people from all over Moray.”

Better transport links

Although the money has been specifically designated for town centres, it is expected that it can be used to improve transport links around the High Street.

And many have called for the cash to be used to fix potholes, repair broken bridges and help speed along dualling of the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness road.

Danny Ralph posted: “Cycle paths, link every town in Moray. No idea if £20 million would be enough or too much, but a network of cycle paths would reduce traffic, which would also improve air quality, make people healthier, encourage tourism.”

Jim Talbot responded: “I like the idea of cycle paths. Proper ones with safe main road crossing points, but the way the existing paths have been planned and executed is shocking and shows a lack of interest in providing a safe cycling network.

There were several calls for the money to be used to repair bridges or improve bus connections.

George Paton said: “Demolish St Giles car park and turn it into a ground level car park.”

David Grant made his feelings clear: “Bypass, bypass, bypass.”

More or less Dandy Lions?

The installation of Dandy Lion on the High Street has proved controversial ever since he took up residence in 2016.

The prospect of Moray Council being able to invest £20 million in Elgin town centre means he has become the focus of social media attention again.

Despite the interest in him, he is not mentioned a single time in the Elgin town centre masterplan despite photos of the Drummer Boy being used and suggestions to move the Wolf of Badenoch to a more prominent location.

However, whether you love him or loathe him seems to dictate what you would like done with him.

Mike Hendo politely wrote: “More Dandy Lion statues, please.”

The prospect prompted the obvious question, how many does Elgin need?

Mike replied: “I’d say two, just in case someone likes them so much that they steal it.”

Al Riddell would like a few more, he wrote: “Get 2,580 more dapper lion statues.”

Niall S Clark would like him more visible, writing: “A giant version of the Dandy Lion stood over the dualled A96.”

However, others were not so keen.

Gillian Leadbetter posted: “Getting rid of the Dandy Lion first.”