Nominations sought for Peterhead Town Board and chair

Residents, businesses, community groups and organisations in Peterhead are being asked to participate in the town’s £20million funding programme announced by the UK Government earlier this year.

A dedicated Town Board will agree a long-term vision and investment plan for Peterhead

The Long Term Plan for Towns funding will be spent over the next 10 years and will be managed by a board of local champions from the community including representatives from the voluntary and education sector, business, cultural, arts and sports, Aberdeenshire Council, and the local MP.

Announced in the March Budget, Peterhead is joining this programme from the Department of Communities and Levelling Up and will see a dedicated Town Board agreeing a long-term vision and investment plan for the town.

Nominations for the Town Board and independent chairperson will open on Thursday, May 2 and people are invited to make nominations through the following engagement events:

An in-person session at the Albert Hotel on Queen Street, Peterhead on Thursday, May 2 from 12noon to 7pm with support from the Federation of Small Business and SURF

A free online webinar on Tuesday, May 7 at 6pm, register at [email protected]

Nomination forms will be made available online at the Engage HQ with hard-copies available from Peterhead Library or Buchan House

The programme themes set by the UK Government are Safety & Security, High Streets, Heritage & Regeneration, and Transport & Connectivity.

The Town Board is to be independently chaired and be formed to represent community interests, business perspectives and public organisations. The Long-Term Plan they will develop must include a 10-year vision and an initial 3-year investment plan.

The chairperson should act as a champion for the town and provide leadership for the Peterhead Town Board, ensuring it is community-led and embedded within the local area.

They can be anyone who holds a prominent role such as a local charitable organisation, a philanthropist, the head of a Further Education College, a director for the NHS Board or Trust or a director of a football club.

Welcoming this exciting moment for the town, Aberdeenshire Council Leader Cllr Gillian Owen said: “We are delighted that Peterhead is to receive £20 million through the UK Government’s Long-Term Plan for Towns programme. This is a significant and very welcome investment for the coastal town over the next decade – particularly given the continuing challenges our towns are facing – and will provide crucial long-term certainty to deliver projects over the coming years.”

Cllr Dianne Beagrie, chair of the council’s Buchan Area Committee, added: “Through the appointment of a Town Board which will develop a ten-year plan for this financial support, it will ensure that this investment in Peterhead is agreed by local leaders and that the funding is used to address the issues that matter most to local people. Of course, while this money is to be invested directly in Peterhead, there can be no doubt that the benefits will be felt more widely.”