Communities in Dumfries and Galloway will benefit from £615,000 to regenerate local areas.
Saving Moat Brae: A National Centre for Children’s Literature and Storytelling in Dumfries will receive a share of £26 million awarded from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) to support local projects that engage and involve local communities in disadvantaged areas, tackle inequality and support inclusive growth.
The project, which will be delivered in a partnership with the Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust (PPMBT), will complete the restoration of Moat Brae, a B-listed Georgian townhouse in Dumfries town centre. With an addition of two new contemporary pavilion extensions and reclamation of Moat Brae’s derelict Victorian riverside garden transformed into the Neverland Discovery Garden, the site will form a National Centre for Children’s Literature and Storytelling.
Local Government Minister Kevin Stewart said:
“I’m really pleased that this fantastic, locally-driven project will benefit from an injection of funding. It will help regenerate the local area, stimulate inclusive growth and create new jobs.
“The focus of the projects being funded this year range from tackling social isolation, mitigating welfare cuts, providing training opportunities, creating business space and increasing tourism – to name but a few. They are an excellent example of how national and local government are working together on shared priorities that benefit local communities.”
Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Young People’s Champion Cllr Adam Wilson said:
“We are absolutely delighted that our bid to the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund has been successful. This award means that all the funding is now in place for the Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust project. I am particularly proud of having the National Centre for Children’s Literature and Creative Writing on our doorstep.
“To have this funding announcement confirmed at the start of the Year of Young People is another illustration of our commitment to delivering facilities and services to young people. This centre of national significance will also be a major tourist attraction in our region which will help prove the ambition of our council to grow events and the tourism sector in Dumfries and Galloway.”
Across Scotland 24 projects will be awarded funding in 2018/19, helping to support or create more than 1,400 jobs, refurbish or bring back into use 23 local buildings and support more than 84 community facilities and services.
A total of 119 projects have been recommended for support from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund since 2014/15. Funding has been confirmed for the remainder of the current parliamentary term, subject to annual spending reviews.
The fund, which has been developed in partnership with COSLA and local authorities, is open to all 32 Scottish local authorities and their Special Purpose Vehicles. An independent panel makes recommendations to the Scottish Ministers and COSLA on which projects should receive funding.
