First slice of Elgin’s £20m rejuvenation cash expected in summer 2024
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
MORAY Council is expecting its first slice of a £20million fund from Westminster next summer to spend on improving Elgin.
The cash will be handed over during the course of 10 years as part of a £1.1billion sum announced recently by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to improve 55 'run-down' towns across the UK.
Councillors will discuss the Long-Term Plans for Cash scheme at their next meeting on Wednesday.
They are also being asked to agree to talks between council officers and representatives from the six other Scottish towns receiving funding – Greenock, Irvine, Kilmarnock, Coatbridge, Clydebank and Dumfries.
The backbone for how the money can be spent locally will be provided by work already carried out by the council in developing a town centre master plan for Elgin, plus the failed bid for £18 million from the second round of the UK government's Levelling Up Fund.
In a report prepared for Wednesday's meeting Gary Templeton, the council's strategic planning and development manager, states: "The plan requires the council to set up a town board and prepare a town plan to deliver the £20million."
Bringing old town centre buildings back into use, upgrading Cooper Park and giving the town hall a facelift are all part of the master plan that was previously prepared for Elgin.
