NEARLY 30 community projects have been awarded a share of £25 million to help breathe new life into Scotland’s disadvantaged areas.
Through the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF), a joint venture between the Scottish Government and local authority group Cosla, opportunity will be injected into fragile areas, to support or create more than 2,300 jobs, support 50 community facilities and refurbish or bring back into use 25 local buildings.
Aberdeen City Council will get £1.9m to build a new, community hub in Tillydrone, £1.6m goes to Argyll and Bute Council for the Tobermory Light Industrial Park on Mull to support the business community, and City of Edinburgh Council will get £750,000 for the Leith Walk Studios, providing workspaces for new businesses and creative entrepreneurs, and the Street Market and Community Partnership Service Hub project to re-develop derelict buildings and a new street market initiative.
Scottish Borders Council gets £475,000 towards the Newcastleton Hub and Community Fuel Pumps regeneration project and £1.2 million will help bring back the former Midmills campus of Inverness College, into use.
Local Government Minister Kevin Stewart and Councillor Stephen Hagan, Cosla spokesperson for development, economy and sustainability, announced the funding on a visit to Out of the Blue in Leith, one of the sites that will benefit.
Stewart said: “I am delighted that 29 fantastic locally-driven projects will benefit from this major injection of funding.
“Spanning the length and breadth of the country, they will help regenerate local areas, stimulate economic growth and create new jobs.
“The focus of the projects range from tackling social isolation to services to address health inequalities, educational attainment, support ex-offenders and boost tourism. They are an excellent example of national and local government working together on shared priorities that benefit local communities. I’m also pleased to announce that RCGF funding has been confirmed until 2021 – and that a call for applications to the fund for 2018/19 will be made shortly.”
Hagan said he was “very pleased” to make the announcement that will help transform local communities.
He added: “This fund is invaluable in helping to transform communities up and down the country and results in strong economic, social and physical regeneration outcomes.
The diversity of the projects being supported is a testament to innovative thinking from local communities where regeneration activity is being tailored to local circumstances.
“The RCGF continues to go from strength to strength and the successful projects announced today reinforce local authorities’ commitment to regenerating their local communities for the benefit of local people.”
Argyll and Bute Council also received £580,000 for Ardrishaig Waterfront Maritime Hub Phase 1, and was given £700,000 for the new Oban Maritime Quarter Transit Berthing Facility.
Clyde Gateway UR Arena District Industrial Development will be get £600,000, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar will get £870,000 for the Isle of Lewis Heritage Programme and £302,195 for Castlebay Harbour Initiative, and £987,735 will go towards the the Stranraer Millennium Centre.
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