ABERDEENSHIRE Council has appointed a contractor for its public realm improvement project to ‘reinvigorate’ Banff’s Bridge Street.
Hunter Construction (Aberdeen) Ltd will carry out the works, which the local authority said will aim to make the street an attractive environment for small shops and businesses as well as reinstating a key link between Old Market Place and the town centre.
Key features include lantern lighting columns, penny farthing-inspired cycle stands and a 22kw vehicle charging point in the adjacent car park area which is also to be redeveloped as part of this project.
Halliday Fraser Munro, the firm behind the street’s new design, said that the blueprint captures the ‘aspirational’ vision of an attractive, safe and pleasant environment by creating a street where pedestrians feel they can move freely anywhere and where drivers should feel they are a guest.
The project received a £709,030 share of the £3.28 million awarded to Aberdeenshire Council through the Scottish Government’s town centre regeneration fund which is aimed at driving local economic activity and stimulating and supporting economic improvements.
Banff and Buchan area committee chair, councillor Doreen Mair, said, “I am delighted the project has appointed contractors and look forward to works commencing in the very near future. Bridge Street presents a challenging but unique environment and the results will be transformational for the area.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our officers for their commitment to the delivery of the project and our external funders who are making this proposal become a reality.”
Vice-chair, councillor Michael Roy, added, “There is a real sense of anticipation in Banff at the moment surrounding both the public realm improvement works and the likes of the Vinery project. Enhancing our town centre environment and making it more appealing and accessible for visitors will also be of real benefit for the shops and businesses in and around Bridge Street.”
