REGENERATION FUND WILL BOOST BLAIRGOWRIE TOWN CENTRE

23/04/2007

Scottish Conservative Candidate for North Tayside Murdo Fraser has called for a Town Centre Regeneration Scheme to rejuvenate town centres and Murdo believes that Blairgowrie could tap into such funding and use it to improve the town centre.

The Scottish Conservatives have announced a Town Centre Regeneration Scheme - worth £20 million a year for four years - as part of a package of measures to support small businesses and traditional shopping areas under pressure from supermarkets and out-of-town retail parks.

The fund could be used by towns for regeneration projects, such as a shopfront scheme, improved parking facilities or upgraded signage.

Commenting, Murdo said:

“Many of our town centres in Perth & Kinross are being run down by the Lib-Lab Pact in Edinburgh and the SNP/Liberal Democrat-run Council is doing nothing to revitalise our town centres.  We need to fix them, and build them back up, because town and village centres are the lifeblood of local communities in Scotland.

“In addition to our proposals to abolish business rates for many small businesses in Scotland, we will establish a Town Centre Regeneration Fund, worth £20m every year.  In order to benefit, towns would decide on a regeneration project and apply directly to the Scottish Executive for consideration.  This will provide a timely boost not only to struggling Scottish towns, but to the nation’s prosperity as a whole.

“Blairgowrie has a vibrant town centre.  There are a number of local shops and the Wellmeadow is an excellent centre piece for the town.  However, in the last year we have seen the opening of a new large Tesco and I have been concerned that this new store has pulled people away from the High Street where the old Tesco was based.  I am glad that the old Tesco premises have been taken over and this will improve the town centre.  However, I still believe that more can be done for the centre of Blairgowrie and I believe that the town could take advantage of a Town Centre Regeneration Scheme and tap into funding to improve the centre.  Blairgowrie needs a bustling High Street and to maintain its distinctive character.

“Undoubtedly, if Blairgowrie could access funds to improve the centre, then this would attract people and shoppers back to the town centre and, in turn, attract more shops and other services to the centre as well.”