Aberdeen City Council has set aside nearly £270 million for capital projects after setting in its 2018/19 budget.

At a full meeting earlier this week, members approved a budgeted spend of over £950m, comprising £269m capital and £689m revenue expenditure.

Commitments to a range of key projects include;

• Over £22m allocated for new schools in Torry and Tillydrone, and opening the new Stoneywood Primary and Lochside Academy. In addition, over £5m will be invested in the new Tillydrone Community Hub and completing the Station House Media Unit extension,

• Major infrastructure projects include a continued commitment to the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route. A further £5m is earmarked for investment and renewal in roads infrastructure and over £2m for street lighting enhancements, with an additional capital investment of £10m on road maintenance over the next five years. The City Centre Masterplan funding in 2018/19 will focus on the redevelopment of Union Terrace Gardens, completing the Broad Street works, and beginning the restoration of Provost Skene's House.

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• Over £100m is set aside to continue construction of the new Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre. Over £3m is also committed to the next phase of city's hydrogen strategy.

• Following the recent announcement Aberdeen will become Scotland's first city with gigabit connectivity, £2m is committed to technology requirements and investment in the Council's digital strategy

Other commitments will see a new approach towards improving housing supply by introducing a role dedicated to identifying vacant private properties and working with the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership to bring these back into use. Plans are also in place to create a new Energy Service Company, with the aim of reducing fuel poverty and energy efficiency across the city. In addition, a cycle hire scheme is being progressed as part of the wider sustainable travel strategy.

Council Co-Leader Douglas Lumsden said: "The financial pressures we face as a local authority are clear as funding decreases but demand increases. Our duty is to find solutions which support our communities and protect services whilst enabling the ambitious plans for the city to be driven forward. The budget is framed around our commitments to the people, place and economy of the city.

"Our emphasis on the city and its communities also runs through the budget. A new initiative to bring empty properties back into use in Aberdeen to support our efforts to address housing challenges is included and we have made clear our intention to press forward with developing plans for an Energy Service Company to drive energy efficiency and tackle fuel poverty.

"Sustainable transport too is high on the agenda and the budget has allowed us to bring forward a new push to think differently and to encourage more Aberdonians moving on two-wheels instead of four, as well as for the expansion of provision for electric vehicles and expansion of the hydrogen fleet."

(LM)