Controversial plans to breathe new life into the historic heart of a north-east port have been branded a “scar on the face of the town”.
Local authority officials have backed proposals to revamp Fraserburgh’s town house and the former police station in the port’s Kirk Brae.
But some local councillors claim concerns about the unusual design – which features rusted steel curtains – have not been taken on board by planners.
And one described the feature as an expensive “monstrosity”.
A £1.8million Heritage Lottery grant awarded to Aberdeenshire Council was the last piece in the funding package for the £5.7million Fraserburgh 2021 project.
The local authority will invest £1.4million, another £1.2million will come from Historic Environment Scotland, £600,000 from the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and £700,000 from private owner contributions.
The scheme will include the town house and police station refurbishments.
A key part of the work is to create a new “face” for the local authority in the community.
The rusted steel curtaining to the rear of the building has been designed to provide a buffer for onlooking properties.
But last night, local Independent councilor Ian Tait said: “From the start, I have been against that cladding going up.
“I think it’s a monstrosity of a thing to be putting in our town centre.
“The whole idea of this project is to preserve our historic buildings and we’re going to put up this. No one would say it would be in keeping with the existing building.
“But it looks to me like my concerns have not been taken on board.
“I’m sure providing this metal curtain will be an incredibly expensive thing to do, and it’s not going to be money well spent. It looks horrible, and to me is an absolute nonsense.
“It really does go against the whole idea of conservation.”
Work on the site, as part of an agreement which secured the funding package to regenerate the whole of the town centre, has to begin by February next year.
But Councillor Tait believes there does not have to be a “significant” delay in order to change plans for the police station.
“There is a window here to resolve the matter,” he said.
“Officers need to remove that cladding and replace it with something more sympathetic to the original building. It could still move forward to schedule.
“Failing that, it would be a scar on the face of Fraserburgh.”
It is hoped the project will also resurrect the former John Trails newsagent building in the port’s Mid Street, which has been left abandoned since a blaze in 2009.
However, the council’s approach to spending the money has also come under scrutiny.
Troup councillor Hamish Partridge, who runs a business in Fraserburgh’s High Street, said there were other areas of the town – including fish processing factories and the harbour – where the money would be better spent to produce “economic benefits”.
Last night, however, local authority area manager Margaret-Jane Cardno dismissed those suggestions.
She said councillors on the Banff and Buchan area committee had been kept “well up to date” with the project, and had received a detailed presentation from architects prior to the application being submitted.
She added: “Other than a minor concern about the capacity of the actual chamber, up until this point no concerns were expressed about the design, the materials, or the proposal.
“In fact, the area committee proactively welcomed the renovations and improvements.
“No representations were received to the planning application, though it is recognised the design is bold, as it was intended to be.
“The correct process has been followed to reach this point, where substantial funding is in place, plans are approved and work is due to start.
“Any suggestion that this money could have been used for an alternative project other than a historical asset is simply wrong and this facility is intended to benefit the whole community.”
Fraserburgh town house is a category B-listed building.
The police station was added in 1906, designed to match.
