Dozens of business owners in a north-east town met yesterday to pave the way for a new era of prosperity in the community.
The Rediscover Peterhead project was first mooted 12 months ago with the aim of improving the town for shoppers and businesses alike by creating new jobs and boosting footfall.
And, following a questionnaire which polled more than 200 businesses across the town, it met yesterday for the first time to begin laying the groundwork for Peterhead’s future.
At the meeting last night, it was revealed the scheme would rely on businesses agreeing to pay a levy – as little as 82p per day – with a view to investing £1million in the town for improvements during the next five years.
Iain Sutherland, who has run Something Special in the port for the last 15 years, has signed on as the project’s coordinator.
He said that local people wanted improved security, better tourism links and cleaner streets.
And he confirmed: “This is not a council project – it is a business organisation.
“It does extra and over and above what the council does. This won’t just be doing the council’s work for them.
“Tourism is something that Peterhead could develop and maybe Peterhead town centre could benefit from that.
“In the past, there has been a pessimism in the town centre, and we need to get together to sort things out.
“There is a great opportunity here for us to come together as a group and drive business into the town centre. Let’s give our children and our grandchildren a better town to live in.”
John Cameron, the group’s co-chairman, added: “This place used to be a good place. We want to turn it around. We want to make a difference.”
The meeting was also attended by Gill Neill from Elgin, where a similar scheme is currently up and running.
She described it as a “tough process” that not everyone will get behind immediately.
She said: “It is easy to stand up and say it’s rubbish, but it’s a lot more worthwhile to come together.”
The group will now listen to ideas from business owners in the lead-up to September, when it is hoped costed projects can be presented and voted on by the town.
