Town centres health checks completed for eight Aberdeenshire communities

Eight town centres across Aberdeenshire are the latest to benefit from a health check to assess their strengths, vitality and viability, weaknesses and resilience.

Aboyne, Alford, Kemnay, Laurencekirk, Mintlaw, Oldmeldrum, Portlethen and Westhill were analysed by Aberdeenshire Council on a range of factors which contribute to successful town centres and indicate good standards of vitality and viability.

There were also further reviews of the previously health-checked towns of Banchory, Banff, Ellon, Fraserburgh, Inverurie, Huntly, Peterhead, Stonehaven, Turriff and Macduff.

Aberdeenshire Council’s Planning Information and Delivery Team alongside on-site assessment surveyed public opinions on a wide range of themes which will provide an insight into the economic, social and environmental factors which play such a critical part in the vitality of town centres.

The engagement enables residents, businesses and community partners to directly comment on a number of aspects of their town centres which builds up a clear picture of the health of a particular town to complement the survey work that will be undertaken by officers.

Paul Macari, Head of Planning and Economy, said: “Since we launched our pilot scheme in Inverurie back in 2021 we have now undertaken 18 town centre health checks across Aberdeenshire and a further review of the initial towns surveyed.

“Regular health checks are used to inform our development plans and decision-making on future planning applications, but they are also vital in monitoring a town centre’s performance which is helpful for determining future investment.

“While not providing a definitive overview of the well-being of a town centre, the reports highlight where there has been evidence of changes since the previous health check and help us as a council identify actions which can be undertaken to maintain and improve services and amenities.”

Visit here to access the findings of the health checks, which offer comprehensive assesments of each town.

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