Nine projects to stimulate town centre recovery in Aberdeenshire have been approved.

Earlier this year the Scottish Government announced an £18 million capital injection into the Town Centre Fund (TCF) for investment in 2020-21. The nine approved projects are to share £1.17 million in funding.

Criteria included the deliverability of the project, sustainability and transformation to key town centres within Aberdeenshire.

The Aberdeenshire Town Centre panel looked for projects which would stimulate and support a wide range of investments to support economic recovery across the region.

The successful Aberdeenshire projects are a town centre enhancement scheme in Aboyne, public realm improvements in Fraserburgh, a community garden in Stonehaven, town centre improvements in Ballater, redevelopment of a property in Fraserburgh, creation of a community garden in Peterhead, redevelopment of the V&A halls in Ballater and a youth room for the MACBI centre in Mintlaw.

Chair of Aberdeenshire Council's Infrastructure Services Committee, Councillor Peter Argyle, said: "This money is intended to support the economic recovery of our town centres, to bring transformational change for towns and their surrounding communities by creating growth which supports them to become more vibrant, creative, enterprising and accessible places.

"The fund was heavily oversubscribed making the decision difficult. All those projects which applied merited funding and Aberdeenshire Council officers will work with the unsuccessful groups to support them find the funding they require."

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Vice-chair Councillor John Cox added: "The principle aim of this fund is to create increased footfall in our town centres through local improvements and partnership working within our communities will be key to achieving that.

"This fund has been the catalyst for many new projects being suggested in Aberdeenshire. I would encourage all communities who have not been successful in this round of funding to continue developing your ideas as when grants like this do become available they often come with very tight timescales."

Details of the nine successful projects are as follows:

• Aboyne Town Centre Enhancement Project

Mid Deeside Community Trust (MDCT) - £135,000

The community council along with the business community are leading on a project to redevelop a piece of land at the rear of the station into a seating area with canopy to assist the businesses in that area with physical distancing and to create a recreational place for the community or visitors to sit.

Fraserburgh Public Realm Improvement Scheme (Kirk Brae and Glover Garden)

• Aberdeenshire Council - Fraserburgh 2021 Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme – £173,360

Plans are underway as part of the Fraserburgh 2021 project to deliver public realm to the area which has been regenerated. Together with a Japanese-themed garden these will be the finishing touches to the Fraserburgh project.

• 34 Broad Street Fraserburgh Hotel Redevelopment

North East Scotland Preservation Trust (NESPT) - £292,233

Funding was granted to purchase 34 Broad Street as part of the 2019 Scottish Government Town Centre Funding. This funding package will enable the redevelopment of the property in a phased approach.

• Phoenix Community Garden

Stonehaven Business Association - £ 48,698

The town improvement group, with the business association leading, are looking at turning an area of the main square into a garden/seating area for public use.

Ballater Village Greens – Enhancement Project

Ballater Enhancement Group per Ballater (Royal Deeside) Ltd - £ 153,111

This project involves several town centre improvements projects for Ballater.

• Victoria & Albert Halls Ballater Transformational Enhancement Programme

Victoria and Albert Halls (Ballater) Trust - £142,233

A series of improvement and upgrading works planned for the Ballater Victoria & Albert Halls complex in order to improve the quality of accommodation and facilities provided within the buildings.

• Victoria Park Community Gardens

Peterhead Area Community Trust (PACT) - £201,495

Plans are in place to deliver a greenspace for the residents of Peterhead.

• Youth Area – Happy Youths = Healthy Youths

Mintlaw & Central Buchan Initiative (MACBI) - £33,093

Plans are underway to create an extension to MACBI for a youth fitness centre.