Applications worth in excess of £8m have been submitted by organisations across Aberdeenshire to access cash from the Scottish Government's Town Centre Regeneration Fund.

The applications were submitted in time for the first round of funding under the scheme and are now being considered.

The applications included proposals from development trusts in Fraserburgh, Peterhead and Banff to re-develop vacant properties for a range of community uses from retail to crèche facilities.

A £500,000 project to assist town centre property owners to carry out repairs and improvements across Aberdeenshire was also submitted.

All applicants will hear by the end of July if they have been successful in securing funds from the first round, with applications for the second round open until August 21.

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Aberdeenshire Council agreed to act as lead organisation in co-ordinating and supporting applications at a meeting of the council's Infrastructure Services Committee in May to ensure the area receives maximum benefit from the fund.

Area managers across the authority worked with internal colleagues and external organisations to ensure that proposals from each area of Aberdeenshire met the required criteria for the fund.

Chairman of Aberdeenshire Council's Infrastructure Services Committee, Councillor Peter Argyle, said: "Preparing applications worth £8 million to a tight deadline was a tremendous achievement and we must now wait to see which ones have been successful.

"There is no doubt they will have a positive impact on the town centres involved, making them better places for those who live, work or visit as tourists, and we're already assisting in the preparation of applications for the second round to ensure that every eligible town centre in Aberdeenshire has a chance to benefit."

The fund of £60m was set up by the Scottish Government to contribute to the improvement of town centres and support their regeneration and growth through challenging economic times.

Under the rules of the fund all projects have to be completed and claims submitted by March 2010 and a second round for applications will close on August 21.

(GK/JM)