Rival projects set to battle it out over £252,000 in Scottish Government development cash
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A SERIES of projects which could help breathe new life into the city centre in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic are to be considered for a funding boost.
Inverness has received just over a quarter of a million pounds as part of a £1.06 million Highland-wide pot of money from the Scottish Government to stimulate local construction and support employment.
Having invited bids for the cash, Inverness area councillors are to consider the merits of eight projects in total – six within the city centre, one in Drumnadrochit and one in Beauly.
Competition for the funds is likely to be fierce – collectively the sum sought is £435,000 but councillors have £252,000 at their disposal.
The projects are:
- Baron Taylor’s Street – Glen Mhor Ltd wants £20,800 towards the conversion of premises at 2 Baron Taylor’s Street into 30 flexible offices.
- MacGregor’s Bar, Academy Street – the owners of the bar want £30,400 to put towards a new “gourmet fish bar” at the premises.
- Browns Gallery, Castle Street – £41,000 is sought to convert vacant premises into an art gallery and events space.
- Castle Tavern, Castle Street – the pub owners have requested £13,000 to improve external space, though council officers say the maximum they could get is £3000 to complete outstanding works, including additional landscaping.
- High Street, Inverness – Highland Council is bidding for £35,010 to “declutter” the High Street, including the removal of “extraneous” street furniture and restoration of paved surfaces.
- 7-17 Union Street, Inverness – another Highland Council team want £150,000 for shopfront improvements as part of the £10 million redevelopment of the former Arnotts building into new flats and retail space. The aim would be to preserve and enhance the historic character of the property.
- Drumnadrochit – Glen Urquhart Community Council wants £75,000 to demolish a vacant former shop as part of a wider partnership project to create new community space and enable repurposing of adjacent land for affordable housing.
- Beauly – Beauly Community Council wants £70,150 to refurbish public toilets.
A report to councillors states: “While a town centre focus remains with the fund, the key driver behind the extra funding is to stimulate local construction activity and support employment across Highland at this time of economic crisis.
“Accordingly, the Scottish Government has conditioned that grant expenditure must be complete by March 2021.”
Officers raise a number of concerns about the bids from private businesses in terms of demonstrable public benefit or whether there are any signs of “market failure” which would justify public assistance.
However, no concerns are noted with the bid for the High Street beyond a request for £500 towards painting street furniture which, as maintenance, is considered ineligible.
Officers also note of the Union Street bid: “The project will complement the substantial investment in the built fabric of Academy Street as part of the Inverness Townscape Heritage Project and potentially act as a catalyst for further investment in Union Street and Baron Taylor’s Street.”
The Drumnadrochit project is judged to have “demonstrable public benefit” and there is sympathy for the Beauly project, though officers worry about whether it can be delivered in time.
“As is typical with this type of funding, the proposals received by Highland Council vary significantly in terms of project outputs and outcomes,” they said.
“In assessing which project to support, members will need to determine which projects best meet the primary purpose of this fund, ie early spend to support the construction sector.”
Despite the concerns raised, Jo de Silva, co-owner of MacGregor’s Bar, said she believed their project was a good fit.
“Given the fact that this fund is specifically for regeneration of businesses within the town centre and to deal with the struggles within Inverness now, it seems appropriate,” she said.
Opposition councillors have raised concerns about the tender process and the number of private firms bidding for a share of the money.
The bids will be considered by Inverness city area committee on Monday.
