Ambitious plans to make Stirling an “economic and cultural powerhouse” have been given a £2m boost.

The creation of a new digital district and a city park in the shadow of Stirling Castle are among the range of capital projects forming part of the City Development Framework vision.

Stirling Council’s finance and economy committee agreed on Tuesday to spend £600,000 on repair, restoration and investigation work to revitalise the River Forth, which has been earmarked as a leisure and tourism destination.

Up to £400,000 will be spent on the first stages of a potential new city park, including improvements to paths, new open spaces, a major water feature, a mini woodland and community orchard growing.

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It is hoped a digital district can be created with £600,000 allocated for improvement works. A digital hub based at Municipal Buildings in the city centre.

The committee also approved an additional £200,000 will go towards the development of a project portfolio.

Stirling Council chief executive Stewart Carruth said: “Our ambition for Stirling is to benchmark ourselves against the best in the world and it’s fantastic as a council to see this progress towards achieving the vision of a truly world-class city and surrounding area.

“It’s about creating a better environment for businesses to thrive; boost employment and skills development opportunities, and increase the draw of Stirling as a destination of choice for visitors from across the world.”

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The council’s director of communities and partnerships Stacey Burlet said: “The plans that have now been approved include work to make Stirling an ideal home for a whole host of digital-based businesses, with the digital district proposals already attracting a great deal of interest.

“We will also now be moving forward with work around the River Forth and development of the city park, both of which have fantastic potential as world-beating attractions for locals and visitors alike.

“One of the other key elements of our vision that we will now be able to take forward is an exercise to further develop an exciting portfolio of projects specifically for rural Stirling, where the ambition and drive to succeed is no less than in the city itself.

“These will be real, visible projects supporting economic growth, particularly based around the key sectors of food and drink, hospitality and digital technology, and ensuring that the benefits of growth are spread widely across the whole Stirling area.”