Less than 10% of funds to revitalise Union Street in Aberdeen spent

A fraction of a multi-million pound fund to revitalise Aberdeen's Union Street has been spent.

It was once the city's flagship shopping street and two years ago the local council offered grants to property owners to spruce up buildings.

However, since the five-year £2.4m Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (Cars) was launched, just over £200,000 has been spent on completed projects.

The 24 business spaces not in use or closing down in 2017 has risen to 37.

The local authority said it was working to conserve the fabric of Aberdeen's historic buildings, and stimulate the local economy.

Union Street - which has about 190 street level business spaces - runs through the heart of the Granite City and was once the main retail hub.

However, like many other high streets in Scotland, shops are closing and units are lying empty.

Union Street has faced particularly stiff competition from nearby Union Square - described as Aberdeen's "premier shopping and leisure destination" - which opened in 2009.

The complex is home to shops and restaurants, and a cinema.

The Cars scheme was launched in November 2017.

As well as offering grants for improvements, it aims to encourage new businesses into empty commercial spaces.

So far more than £201,000 has been spent.

There have been 35 expressions of interest, 13 applications and three completed projects, which included repointing, the repair of rainwater disposal, and structural repairs.

Ten are pending approval.

At men's clothing store Signature, owner Patrick Ritchie blamed Union Street's fortunes on a "perfect storm" of issues such as the oil downturn, online shopping and business rates.

He said: "I'm gutted. I've been here for 33 years and this is the worst state Union Street has ever been in.

"Union Street is a shambles. We need to do something."

Community councillor Dustin MacDonald said: "It is worrying, I don't think it's just isolated to Aberdeen. If we could just encourage more people to go out and shop physically as well as online."

Councillor Marie Boulton, the council's lead on the City Centre Masterplan - which includes the Cars project - said the aim was to transform the area.

She said: "Union Street remains very much the heart of Aberdeen.

"The council is working with Historic Environment Scotland to conserve the fabric of its most important historic buildings by offering grants to owners."

She said the redeveloped Aberdeen Art Gallery was "thriving", and work was now under way to regenerate historic Union Terrace Gardens, including a new entrance on Union Street.

"In combination, these City Centre Masterplan projects are transforming Aberdeen as a place to live, visit and do business", she said.