Members of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Economy and Resources Committee (14 Sept) will receive a report on the Council’s Economic Development Capital Programme.
The programme consists of a number of economic development and place based investments across 5 thematic areas: Reshaping Stranraer and The West; Dumfries: Regional Capital; Upper Nithsdale Regeneration; Annan Regeneration Action Plan; supporting Langholm regeneration; and Business Infrastructure Investment.
Committee will be asked to agree to award a grant of up to £25,166 to Sanquhar Community Council for the Sanquhar Signage Project and to agree to increase the grant awarded to the Stranraer Re Use Centre Business Expansion Project by £2k to enable the order of an electric vehicle to be completed. Members will also be asked to agree to increase the grant available to Annan and DG12 Property Improvement Grant recipients up to a new value of 50% of eligible project costs.
Projects include the Stranraer Marina Expansion Project and the George Hotel feasibility study in the west; the Conservation Area Regenerations Scheme and the Midsteeple Quarter in Dumfries; the Upper Nithsdale Gateways; Sanquhar Gateway Project; and the Annan Regeneration Steering Group.
The report also states that three Stage 1 submissions were made to the 9th Round of the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund. These were for the Kelloholm Skills and Innovation Centre project, the Lockerbie Community Wellbeing Hub, and Thornhill Hub. The total value of these three grant submissions was £5.6 million against a total investment value across the three projects of £10.7 million. The Scottish Government’s decision on these submissions is expected soon.
£250,000 has been set aside over each of the next three years in relation to the Community Led Economic Development and Place Based Regeneration Framework: Grants Programme. This will be available to support communities, charities and social enterprises in the development of suitable capital projects that will support local economic development and place based regeneration.
The Scottish Government’s 2021-22 budget committed to a new £10 million Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) to provide funding to support a wide range of projects that will deliver nature restoration, safeguard wildlife and tackle the causes of biodiversity loss, especially climate change. Our Council has been provided with a capital allocation of £135,000 for 2021-22 to support actions that help nature recover. Officers have identified two potential projects that would be suitable for this funding: £110,000 to Threave Landscape Restoration Project and £25,000 to Dumfries and Galloway Tree Planting Grants Fund.
Chair of Economy and Resources Committee, Rob Davidson said: “I am pleased to see such a wide range of projects stretching across the whole of our region which could benefit from these funding streams. We are keen to work with communities to ensure they make the most of their assets and make improvements where we can through this diverse programme.”
Vice Chair, Archie Dryburgh said: “The Economic Development Capital Programme sets out our programme for investing in economic infrastructure within our region over three years from 2021/22 to 2023/24 and our communities will see real benefits from all of these projects.”
