A £20million bid for plans to rejuvenate the beach area in Aberdeen has been submitted for the Levelling Up Fund.
Aberdeen City Council plans to create an urban park, events field, gateway and hub buildings, canopy features and a pedestrian space with the funding.
The UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund 2 is operating on a competitive basis with only one project to be funded from each Westminster constituency, alongside one transport project in each local authority.
Alexander McLellan, Aberdeen City Council’s city growth and resources convener, said: “The plans for the beachfront are being designed to provide an exciting new environment for both residents and visitors to the city while conserving the heritage of the area and encouraging more people to make the shift to walking, cycling, or public transport.
“The proposals are also centered around the need to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic in a positive way and ensure we are investing in our city and making it a place people want to live, work, visit and do business.
“We welcome the opportunity to bid to the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund 2 and the opportunity that presents to help fund our ambitious plans for the beach front, as we believe we are presenting a strong case to rejuvenate our beachfront and the benefits that will bring to our city and the people living here.”
What do the Aberdeen beach plans include?
Proposals to rejuvenate the city’s beachfront also include a pier, playpark and state-of-the-art sports area.
Helping to accommodate a new home for Aberdeen FC is also part of the wider vision.
The proposed urban park space would create an “outdoor destination” for Aberdeen and connections back to the city centre.
A pedestrian spine would be used as a main route through the whole beach area.
The council is working with young people in the city to develop the playpark and sports areas which could include a pump track for skateboards and roller skates, as well as wheelchairs.
It is hoped a new events field would become a “flexible space” to be used for events, festivals and large concerts, with a grass area for sports, games and picnics.
The council has said the gateway building will be designed to draw people towards the waterfront, while the hub building would “create a focal point at the heart of the new urban park” in the central plaza.
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