Will cash for Highland towns be enough to make a difference?
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A BUN fight is bound to ensue over a £2.9 million fund handed to Highland Council to save struggling high streets across the region.
That is the view of Inverness Central councillor Bet McAllister who believes towns and villages up and down the length of the Highlands will all be eager to get their hands on a share of the relatively small sum.
The Scottish Government grant is the region’s share of a national £50 million ring-fenced Town Centre Fund.
It aims to boost local economic growth by helping fund projects to revitalise areas that have been blighted by tough times for the retail sector, through schemes such as turning empty shops into homes.
Cllr McAllister, who says her ward is among those in “desperate need” of a boost, believes it will be interesting to see how the money can be doled-out fairly across such a large geographic area.
“I would say to the government ‘thank you very much for the money, but it will go a short way towards alleviating the problems of people who are desperate for homes’,” she said.
“I can just see a huge bun fight over this because we’ve got lots of empty shops in lots of high streets.”
Drew Hendry, MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, was more positive.
“I am delighted that the Highland region will benefit from this new fund to the tune of £2.9 million,” he said.
“That is a huge investment and one that should soon see the money put to effective use across our communities.”
He added: “I look forward to working with the Highland Council and community and business groups to make sure this extra money from the Scottish Government is put to effective use to support businesses and benefit local residents and tourists alike.”
The share for the whole of the Highlands is on a par with the £3 million given to cover Glasgow city centre alone.
Aberdeen received £1.3 million and the wider Aberdeenshire area was granted £3.2 million to put towards improvements works.
The largest chunk went to Fife, which received £4.3 million.
Scotland’s economy secretary, Derek Mackay, said: “This fund is part of a wider boost to the economy through providing more than £5 billion of capital investment to grow and modernise Scotland’s infrastructure, and a wider package of support to businesses, including maintaining a competitive business rates package and providing the most generous package of non-domestic rates relief anywhere in the UK.”
