Transforming one of Aberdeenshire’s busiest town centres may be the only way to end its traffic and parking nightmare.
Inverurie councillor Bryan Stuart is calling for the stretch of the B9170 road to Oldmeldrum outside his town’s public hall to be paved and turned into a space for car parking and public events.
He said action was needed “sooner rather than later” to save local businesses from suffering any further, with parking spaces in the heart of Inverurie becoming increasingly scarce at peak times and traffic at an all-time high.
An idea to overhaul the town centre and turn it into an open public space – similar to how it looked 100 years ago – won the Future Towns Scotland competition last year, which sought to revitalise high streets across the country.
And Mr Stuart is leading the call to crack on with the idea, saying it will remove congestion from the heart of the bustling town and provide a “plaza” for public events.
The SNP councillor said: “We are really keen to push on. There has been such a hold up to get anything moving in the town centre.
“We would actually get more parking than we have there just now and get a perfect space for a plaza, which could work as an events space when we need it.”
He added that a full assessment of the local roads would be required first.
“As far as doing anything in the town centre we need to be advised, we can’t do anything that significantly exacerbates the situation,” he said.
“But the lack of parking is hitting the retailers right now.
“Between that and the oil downturn and online shopping they are getting hit hard.”
Fellow councillor Richard Cowling said Inverurie’s traffic problem would not go away unless a bypass comes through the east of the town, along with the dualling of the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness road.
The Conservative councillor added he was unsure the town centre plan would solve the issue of parking.
“Like everything else in Inverurie there isn’t a simple solution. We would need to get the traffic response first,” he said.
A council spokeswoman added: “The council is very supportive of the plans that they have seen in the past but there are difficulties and complications in taking them forward.”
