The Huntly Conservation Area could be limited to the heart of the town following worries it has “no benefit” to residents.
A petition submitted by Huntly Community Council last year asked Aberdeenshire Council to reduce the size of the protected zone.
Members said that due to conservation area rules, many residents are unable to upgrade their homes to have energy-efficient windows.
Any upgrade works to properties must follow specific planning guidelines to “preserve and enhance” the buildings and character of the zone.
Community councillor Andrew Raeburn said an increasing number of homes in Huntly are “falling into disrepair and poor condition” due to the regulations.
The conservation area includes a mixture of 18th and 19th century buildings but it has not been reviewed since 2013.
The issue was initially considered by the Marr area committee in December.
Huntly conservation area ‘holds the town back’
But members discussed the protected zone again when they met earlier today.
Councillor Robbie Withey suggested any buildings requiring protection should be listed by Historic Environment Scotland.
He said Huntly has “huge potential to be a bustling town full of tourists” but said conservation restrictions are “holding it back”.
Mr Withey added: “We are in a situation now where somebody could have new PVC windows and their next-door neighbour isn’t allowed to replace theirs.
“And with the cost-of-living crisis and people looking to save energy, new PVC windows are better and more energy efficient.
“A lot of people are looking at the short-term costs, not the long-term because they simply can’t afford to spend money at the moment.”
He proposed the council carry out a 12-month review of the conservation area with the aim of reverting it back to the previous 2013 boundary.
‘Cannot see the benefit to the people of Huntly’
But councillor Jeff Goodhall put forward another option to drastically reduce the protected zone to the centre of Huntly instead, with a focus around The Square.
He said he had been told “time and time again” that residents don’t want a conservation area at all and added: “I cannot see the benefit to the people of Huntly of having this policy”.
Under his proposal, the conservation area would be limited to the town centre.
It would include Chapel Street, West Park Street, East Park Street, Park Street, Old Road, Church Street, Granary Street, Nelson Street and George Street.
But the committee was told choosing this option could result in the review taking until 2025 to be completed.
Locals to wait for ‘better outcome’
However, councillor Withey believed Huntly residents would be “willing to wait to get the right decision”.
He added: “My fear is that if we do a quick review now we will probably end up back here again in 2024 or 2025 discussing shrinking it further or abolishing it altogether.
“That would need a review then we would probably have to wait until 2027 for the new strategy.
“I think most people accept that they’ll just wait a little bit longer for a better outcome.”
The committee unanimously agreed to review the town centre boundary change.
They also asked council officers to look at any potential funding that may be available to help those who remain in the conservation area with home improvements.
You can watch the committee discussion below:
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