Community Groups to be consulted over Town Centre Funding priorities in Broadford and Portree

Members of the Isle of Skye and Raasay Area Committee yesterday agreed to involve community groups in deciding Town Centre Funding priorities.

They also agreed to set up a special area committee in January to approve agreed spend.

On 10th September 2020 the Scottish Government announced an additional £18m through the Town Centre Fund as part of its national economic recovery stimulus package, particularly aimed at supporting construction activity across Scotland.

The Scottish Government allocated The Highland Council an additional £1,066,000 of ring-fenced Town Centre Funding and the Economy and Infrastructure Committee agreed area distribution of the grant.

The Isle of Skye and Raasay Committee was allocated £56,104 to be invested in Broadford and Portree.

At yesterday’s meeting Members agreed to provisionally award the Isle of Skye and Raasay tranche to established organisations in both towns and said that community groups will be heavily involved in the process.

The additional TCF grant is capital (for investment in fixed physical assets) and can be spent by Highland Council or third parties.

There were four possible options available to Members of the Isle of Skye and Raasay Committee and councillors yesterday agreed to look closely at options one and four. Option one involved the top-up of existing projects where there is an identifiable need, i.e. overspend projected or additional phase of work that can be readily bolted onto existing contracts. This could be undertaken quickly and existing grant contracts modified accordingly.

Option four looks at work in partnership with established organisations that have a remit for enhancing and improving the town centres of Broadford and Portree.

In respect of option one the existing projects benefiting from TCF grant are fully funded and progressing satisfactorily. And option four would deliver an even distribution of funds between both towns. It also provides lead organisations the comfort of knowing the budget available to them when developing proposals.

It is recognised that both the Broadford and Strath Community Company and the Portree & Braes Community Trust are well positioned to deliver option four.

Chair of Isle of Skye and Raasay Area Committee, Cllr John Gordon said: “This additional funding is a welcome boost for Broadford and Portree and will help with improvements and projects.

“Working with the Broadford and Strath Trust and the Portree and Braes Community Trust to identify where this money should be spent money will benefit both Towns.”