Town Centre Funding projects agreed for 3 Easter Ross communities

Highland Councillors at a special meeting of the Easter Ross Area Committee today (Wednesday 20 January 2021) have approved 3 projects that will be offered a total £140,260 Scottish Government Town Centre funding to help deliver economic stimulus in Evanton, Invergordon and Tain.

Projects need to have started by the end of March and grant spent by the end of September.

Councillors agreed that the following 3 successful projects will be offered Town Centre Funds:

• Rose Garden, Tain – £70,130 to Tain Task Force and The Highland Council for new surfacing of the Rose Garden paths and refurbishment of the public toilets.
• Shore Road, Invergordon - £50,000 to The Highland Council to provide a traffic and passenger management system for visiting cruise ships.
• Evanton street lighting - £20,130 to The Highland Council to install new architectural lighting columns at the southern entrance of Evanton to improve the amenity, welcome and arrival of the village.

Chair of the Easter Ross Area Committee, Cllr Fiona Robertson said: “I am delighted, along with fellow Members to approve these 3 Town Centre funded projects for Tain, Invergordon and Evanton which will help stimulate local construction activity and support employment in Easter Ross during the COVID economic crisis.

“With a very tight deadline and stringent grant aid requirements of the Town Centre Funding - Members previously agreed last November that to ensure the uptake of this latest funding round - Officers would work with existing grant recipients and Council-led projects to ensure that the projects put forward will meet the strict criteria.”

She added: “Tain Rose Garden a really important focus of our historic market town. The garden was designed with the support of the well-known Beech Grove Garden team many years ago. It is a very popular area with townsfolk and visitors and has recently been the location for a busy and popular community market. However, the paths need considerable work to keep the area operational and in good repair and the provision of lighting and power will support the community markets going forward.  The toilets, which have sadly suffered from repeated vandalism in recent time, will also be refurbished along with the path work with the support of the Town Centre Fund.”

While there was not sufficient funding to also fully support the refurbishment of the Tain Picture House - Members agreed that any unused funding should go to support this much-valued building.

Cllr Robertson said: “The TCF money allocated to Invergordon will provide laybys to support a traffic and passenger management system which will improve the visitor experience and attract more visitors to the town centre and increase pedestrian safety. The proposal has been developed after in-depth consultation with businesses operating in the area and local community representatives. The infrastructure provided will also be supported by directional signage and other traffic management arrangements. On completion, the outcome of these works will be vital when lockdown restrictions are eased to encourage visitors into the town and increase footfall to increase regeneration.”