Business leaders have welcomed Moray Council’s “encouraging” draft Elgin City Centre masterplan, which aims to drive major efforts to revitalise the town centre.
This comes as the proposals include a wide range of projects aimed at the regeneration of vacant and derelict buildings and supporting local businesses.
Elgin Bid’s chief executive Gemma Cruickshank believes the masterplan can help Elgin reach its “huge potential” and drive more footfall to the town centre.
Mrs Cruickshank said: “Elgin is the hub of Moray and therefore has always been a popular place to live and work. Renovating derelict buildings opens up new opportunities for people – this will also add to the beauty of the city centre with improved buildings and shop windows continuing to make it a must visit in Moray.
“There is huge potential in Elgin and I believe the city masterplan will bring this to light and encourage people to start a new venture here where in short years will become the primary area to have a business.
“Development and investment of this scale in the city, will make a significant contribution to the recovery of the city centre by making it an attractive place not only to live but to work and start a new venture.
“We encourage businesses, the public and stakeholders to engage with the consultation process and put forward their views.”
Hopes that the masterplan projects can benefit Elgin in ‘long term’
Pearl Hamilton, the Federation of Small Businesses’ national councillor for Scotland added: “There are certainly a number of exciting proposals contained within the draft masterplan which could not only help attract, but retain both people and businesses to Elgin, providing a boost to the whole Moray area.
“Investment in long- empty properties and the creation of a cultural quarter are hugely welcome, but it’s vital that as many local businesses as possible across Moray are given their share of public contracts.
“We want them to become the places they can be and these projects set a long term, diverse future for Elgin, which can only benefit the whole Moray area and economy.”
Chief Executive of Visit Moray Speyside, Laurie Piper, said: “I am encouraged to see the Elgin Masterplan seeks to address some of the biggest challenges the city faces in the years ahead.
“It is absolutely crucial that Elgin becomes a must-see, must-visit location for visitors.”
Elgin Community Council chairman Alastair Kennedy has encouraged members of the public to take part in the council’s consultation on the draft masterplan.
Mr Kennedy added: “We look forward to see more engagement with the plans and anything that improves Elgin is really important.”
