Plans for the near million pound revamp of a Highland Perthshire square has been given the green light despite concerns that similar projects have “not worked in a lot of places”.
The works on Aberfeldy Square will begin on July 15 with the installation of new lighting, pavements and street furniture, and creating a ‘shared space’ in an effort to make the area more attractive to tourists.
It was approved by all councillors on the planning and development management committee on Wednesday.
However, more than 30 people had objected to the regeneration plans, including two community councillors, citing fears over loss in trade during construction over the summer months as well as the plan to remove 14 car parking spaces in the square leaving just seven.
Two councillors also raised concerns that the plan has been given the go ahead, despite an impending review into issues at Kinross High Street’s own ‘shared space’.
The town received its own shared space as part of a £1 million regeneration project the council hoped would inject new life into the town — but has since come in for heavy criticism.
Kinross-shire Councillor Richard Watters said: “Kinross has a shared space area which will undergo review soon.
“Would it not be wise to have that reviewed before this is carried out?”
Fellow councillor, Willie Robertson, added: “I think it is unfortunate we don’t wait for the Kinross shared space review as it is something that has not worked in a lot of places.
“Are we are going to go ahead with this and not learn lessons from it [the Kinross review] first?
The council officer replied that both examples could not be feasibly compared as they have a “different context” with regards to their uses.
Afterwards concerns were raised over the plan to lose 14 parking spaces, but planning chiefs argued only around 60 percent of the Aberfeldy Community Campus spaces, a five minute walk from the square, are filled over the weekends and that it can compensate for the reduction.
The motion for the project was then carried without any objections.
