South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) has awarded the Eskdale Foundation a grant of £92,000 to help towards the cost of developing the former Langholm Police Station into four affordable flats.
Once complete, the refurbishment of the listed building, empty since 2010, will provide high quality affordable apartments for local people in the heart of Langholm.
The project is already supported by Scottish Government’s Rural and Islands Housing Fund, DGC Town Centre Living Fund, the Architectural Heritage Fund, Muirhall Energy, and includes a significant contribution by the organisation themselves.
The grant from SOSE represents the final piece of the funding package and allows the project to move forward. The total cost of the project is £596,132.
The Eskdale Foundation is a community development trust with charitable status and was formed in 1996. It works with communities in Eskdale to ensure there is accessible facilities and amenities available to all. It also owns a local charity shop and four houses, and profits from these are re-invested back into the community.
Ronnie Tait, Director, The Eskdale Foundation said:
“SOSE’s support has allowed the Eskdale Foundation to progress much more quickly with this project and without their help, it would have been much more difficult for us to move forward with our plans.
“We are extremely grateful to SOSE for relieving the pressure, and for all the help and advice we have received from our community advisor who has supported us on this journey.”
Chair of the South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE), Professor Russel Griggs OBE, said:
“The Eskdale Foundation put the needs of their community at the heart of what they do and we are delighted to be able to support this project.
“Local communities are the lifeblood of our towns, villages and our economy. As the economic and community development agency for the region, we are here to listen first-hand to what businesses, communities and individuals need – and then respond.
“The provision of affordable housing and town centre regeneration will be an important building block in COVID-19 recovery, as Langholm seeks to attract employers and rebrand as a tourist town.
“We are committed to continuing to work with communities, such as Langholm and the Eskdale Foundation, to support them in their aspirations as we recover, ensuring we remain a region of opportunity.”
Notes to Editors
An image of the former Langholm Police Station is attached.
To find out more about the Eskdale Foundation, contact Ronnie Tait – 07388956544 / 013873 80078
South of Scotland Enterprise is the new economic and community development agency for Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders. Our support is tailored to individual circumstances. We are encouraging businesses, community groups, organisations to get in touch with them if they need, help, support, or advice.
SOSE has approved over £22m of support for almost 400 business and organisations across the region since its launch on 1 April 2020, to December 2020.
If you are a business that has already applied for available streams of funding and are genuinely still struggling, or you have a good idea to adapt or diversity your business, please visit www.southofscotlandenterprise.com
For further information, please contact [email protected].
