Councillors will be asked this week to back plans to create a £5million conservation area in the heart of Fraserburgh.
A meeting of Aberdeenshire Council’s policy committee will meet on Thursday to discuss the proposals before a funding bid is lodged with Historic Scotland and Heritage Lottery Fund for the works.
If approved – and the bids are successful – the authority anticipates that the work to protect the heritage and character of the town will run from March 2016 to March 2021.
The scheme will class Fraserburgh’s town centre as a conservation area and it is hoped the move will allow business owners to access grants to improve their buildings.
Last night, Mary Melville, the vice-chairwoman of the town’s community council, said the step would be a positive one for Fraserburgh.
She said: “To be honest, I think it is the best thing to have happened to Fraserburgh in years, provided we do get conservation status.
“If we get that, I think we’ll be able to access a whole lot more money and do a whole lot more rather than just a bit of paint there, a tidy up there and washing the pavements – something more substantial.”
Aberdeenshire Council has estimated that it will need to set aside £1million for the scheme.
But Stephen Archer, the authority’s infrastructure chief, has revealed in his report to go before councillors that this sum has not yet been achieved.
In order to make up the £550,000 shortfall, money previously set aside for projects could now be pooled together.
Mr Archer explained: “Decisions on the funding bids are due by the end of January, 2015, and will take place in a competitive climate. It is therefore important that the council’s funding is confirmed now in order to give credibility to the bids.
“A number of possibilities have been investigated. These are that £300,000 from the Regeneration reserve budget and £50,000 from the regeneration budget are set against the bids,” he added.
A £165,000 project to upgrade the town’s Saltoun Chambers, which is in its early stages, may also be brought under the wider conservation area plans.
“It is intended that the allocations give confidence to external partners that necessary match funding is available to support the project,” Mr Archer said.