North-east firms urge councils to save high streets

Call to rethink road closures as town centre businesses ‘on their knees’

THOUSANDS of people have signed a petition calling for a rethink on town centre road closures in a desperate attempt to protect their high streets.

Aberdeenshire Council is introducing changes to road lay-outs in towns including Peterhead, Inverurie and Stonehaven to allow for social distancing. Under the plan, cars could be banned from dozens of streets, prompting fears trade will be killed off when shops are finally allowed to reopen.

Similar concerns have been voiced in Aberdeen – and last night, the chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired admitted the lack of consultation with businesses had been “disappointing”. However, he urged businesses to embrace pedestrianisation as a “pilot” for a future transformation of the city centre.

Muhammad Adrees, who runs a phone repair shop in Peterhead, launched a petition against Aberdeenshire Council’s proposals which has attracted nearly 2,000 signatures. There are more than 2,500 names on a similar one for the Granite City.

Mr Adrees said: “We are already on our knees due to coronavirus and the proposed road closures will kill our already suffering town centre.”

Businesses across the north-east have pleaded with the council to ensure they do not “kill our high streets” when adapting town centres in response to coronavirus. Like their city neighbours, shop owners in Aberdeenshire are wary about the reshuffling of road layouts to comply with social distancing regulations.

Aberdeenshire Council has been awarded £310,000 from the Scottish Government’s Spaces for People fund.

The money will cover the entire cost of temporary projects, helping to provide safe walking and cycling areas during the pandemic.

Priority is being given to town centres in Banchory, Ellon, Fraserburgh, Inverurie, Peterhead and Stonehaven – where various road closures, pavement-widening schemes and more are proposed.

Muhammad Adrees has run Phonetech in Peterhead for five years and started a petition at the weekend, which last night had 1,800 signatures, urging the council not to close the town’s roads.

Cars could be banned from Market Street, Thistle Street, Queen Street, Chapel Street, Back Street, Prince Street and Broad Street.

He said: “We are already on our knees due to coronavirus and the proposed road closures will kill our already suffering town centre.

“The council is rushing these measures through, and it could be a disaster for independent businesses.”

Mr Adrees has suggested that, rather than spend money on widening pavements and altering the roads, the council could instead hire extra security staff to maintain regulations, thereby creating more jobs.

He said: “We all know if the town centre is not easily accessible there will be less footfall and that will result in more empty shops. If we don’t object, our town centre will turn into a ghost town.”

Business owners have until today to give feedback on the Spaces for People proposals.

Meanwhile Derek Ritchie, of Inverurie Bid, said there had been a “mixed response” in the town.

Concerns about closing the Market Street car park, fears over congestion from a new one-way system on West High Street and the potential loss of up to 70 car parking spaces were all highlighted by shop owners.

Mr Ritchie said: “Retailers are concerned that shoppers visiting the town by car will be confused and annoyed by the measures and could end up shopping in the edge of town retail park or the large supermarkets outwith the town centre.

“To be fair, a few have said that the measures are being enforced for the safety of shoppers, so we maybe should see how things pan out.

“My main wish is that social distancing can be reduced to one metre within the next couple of weeks and this would mean that there would be no need for these measures at all. This would also make sure that more of the small cafes, pubs and restaurants have a better chance of surviving in general and being able to reopen.”

In Stonehaven, car parking on a variety of streets could be restricted, including in front of Aunty Betty’s, the Bay Fish and Chips and other shops on the boulevard.

The Spaces for People proposals are still being developed by council officers and will be shared more widely once they are at a more advanced state.

An Aberdeenshire Council spokesman said: “First and foremost, these temporary measures are being designed to help protect public health and support physical distancing, particularly where there are space constraints in our town centres.

“They are being applied to ensure that there is sufficient space to allow people to queue outside shops and at bus stops while maintaining safe passage by pedestrians with appropriate physical distancing.

“Feedback from our communities and businesses will, of course, be taken into consideration in the development of these proposals which will be kept under constant review as the easing out of lockdown progresses.

“We are already on our knees due to coronavirus”

“The temporary infrastructure is designed to be flexible to allow changes to be made to the proposals as guidance is updated or due to more local changes in our town centres.”

Meanwhile, the authority has revealed 30 pubs, restaurants and cafes across the north-east applied for licences to expand their business to include outdoor seating within a week.

Aberdeenshire Council is allowing premises across the region to apply to alter its operational plan, to fall in line with Scottish Government guidance for easing lockdown.

Licensing chiefs hope to push through the applications within two weeks, but stressed proper consultation needs to be carried out. The licences will allow places to open their car parks and outdoor space as seating areas.

Licensing board convener Brian Topping said: “The board and I wanted to do everything we can to support the trade during these difficult times.

“As someone who has worked in the trade, I’m delighted to be giving a helping hand to businesses at this time and it’s great that 30 have applied for licences within a week. I would encourage others to apply if they wish to do so.”

An eerily quiet Market Square in the centre of Stonehaven.

Photograph by Darrell Benns

Kenny Elrick Photograph by Inverurie town centre in lockdown.