Case for Arbroath’s promised £20m funding taken to Westminster

​Stephen Gethins MP and board chairman Peter Stirling have secured a meeting with Communities Minister Alex Norris.​Stephen Gethins MP and board chairman Peter Stirling have secured a meeting with Communities Minister Alex Norris.
​Stephen Gethins MP and board chairman Peter Stirling have secured a meeting with Communities Minister Alex Norris.
The case for funding the long term plan for Arbroath, promised by the UK Government, has been taken to Westminster.

In September 2023, the then Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, launched the government’s Long-Term Plan for Towns, a core part of its Levelling Up programme. In the first phase, 55 towns were chosen, with Arbroath one of 20 UK towns – and one of just three in Scotland – included in the second phase.

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But the change of UK Government in July cast doubt on the future of many levelling up projects.

The Arbroath Town Board, which brings together members from across the business and wider community, continued with its public consultation, which has attracted hundreds of written responses and local people to its meetings. This led to the development of a proposal, which Arbroath & Broughty Ferry MP Stephen Gethins and board chairman Peter Stirling took to Westminster, where they pressed the case for funding.

They are due to meet with Communities Minister Alex Norris on Monday (November 4) to discuss the town’s plans.

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Mr Gethins said: “It has been fantastic to see the way in which the town really got behind these proposals and engaged with the consultation process.

“These plans are incredibly exciting and could lead to some important investments in the town. That will be important as we work towards improvements and building a sustainable future for everyone, especially the young people. We have made the case for investment, and we will continue to make the case until that commitment has been delivered.”

Mr Stirling added: “The response from the community has been amazing, over 800 people took the time to write down their thoughts and ideas of how to transform and improve Arbroath. I was especially pleased with our engagement with the town’s secondary schools, resulting in over 350 pupils writing to us with their hopes and ambitions for Arbroath. The public feedback has been the largest response to a new town plan in decades. Our long-term plan is a faithful representation of what the people of Arbroath want and hope for.”