The money from the Place Based Investment Programme Fund is also used for supporting town centre revitalisation, community wealth building, and 20-minute neighbourhoods (a neighbourhood location where people can access most of their basic needs within a 20-minute walk).

The Fund comes from the Scottish Government which distributed £38 million this financial year to local government, of which £847,000 was allocated to Aberdeen City Council to be administered locally.

The committee also agreed grants from the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund prospectus for Aberdeen City Council projects covering three priority areas - community and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. The council is to receive £7,156,832 covering an initial three-year period covering 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25.

Aberdeen City Council co-leader, Councillor Ian Yuill, said: “We are delighted the committee has agreed to spend these monies on really worthwhile community projects.

“The grants will make a huge difference to all of these projects which will enrich and enhance the city in many ways.”

Organisations which are to receive Place Based Investment Programme Fund grants include:

• Up to £50,000 to the Ferryhill Railway Heritage Trust incorporating Ferryhill Men’s Shed for the Restoration of historic Office Buildings and Water Tower project;
• Up to £22,013 to the Fersands Fountain Community for the Nursery Garden Improvement Project with agreement to increase this up to the requested £33,000 should there be underspends in any of the previously approved projects.

The main objectives of the Place Based Investment Programme Fund are to link and align place-based initiatives and establish a coherent local framework to implement the Place Principle, to support place policy ambitions such as town centre revitalisation, community led regeneration, 20-minute neighbourhoods and Community Wealth Building, to ensure that all place-based investments are shaped by the needs and aspirations of local communities, and to accelerate ambitions for net zero, wellbeing and inclusive economic development, while tackling inequality and disadvantage, community involvement and ownership.

ACC projects which are to receive UK Shared Prosperity Fund grants include:

• Up to £70,000 to Aberdeen City Council Community Buildings Feasibility Studies project;
• Up to £101,000 to Aberdeen City Council ClimateOS software project;
• Up to £240,000 to Aberdeen City Council SPECTRA festival project ;
• Up to £700,000 to Aberdeen City Council Tolbooth Museum Improvements and Structural Repairs project;
• Up to £40,000 to Aberdeen City Council - Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museum for Reimagining the Cowdray Hall feasibility;
• Up to £90,000 to Aberdeen City Council - Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museum for Aberdeen Archives Centre feasibility project;
• Up to £150,000 to Aberdeen City Council – Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museum for Audience Evaluation & Acquisition feasibility project.