A Kirriemuir regeneration fund of over £1 million will benefit both business and community organisations, it has been claimed.
Councillor Ronnie Proctor has welcomed an injection of £645,000 from Historic Scotland and £504,000 from Angus Council, to go towards a Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme.
The funding will be split into four sections and a dedicated officer will be appointed by the council to manage the development.
Members of the infrastructure services committee approved the funding on Tuesday. Mr Proctor was given permission to address the meeting to give his views on the decision.
He said: “I think that for the business people of Kirriemuir and the people who live in the centre of town, this is long overdue.
“I hope it will enhance the town and benefit the town and provide support for businesses struggling to maintain their position within Kirriemuir.”
Mr Proctor said the community council has offered to assist the incoming CARS officer in driving the scheme forward.
He added: “Because we are spending such a vast amount of money, I do hope that the roads department could have a look at reprioritising maintenance work.
“It would be for the benefit of the town to have all of the upheaval done in one go.”
Under the priority projects section, four properties including 1-3 Roods; a warehouse to the rear of Ogilvy’s Close; Glengate Hall and the former Airlie Arms Hotel will all receive grants.
The small scheme section will see grants made available to property owners for external works such as shopfront improvements and repairs to historic features.
A training and education section is included to provide community activities to be developed over the five-year lifetime of the CARS.
Public realm funding will be made available for the upgrading of the town square.
Infrastructure services convener Mairi Evans, who is a Brechin councillor, agreed it would make sense to have any major works carried out at the same time.
She said: “I hope it has the same success as the Brechin Townscape Heritage Initiative has enjoyed.”