Wester Ross projects to benefit from Highland Coastal Communities Fund

At today’s meeting of The Highland Council’s Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh Committee (Monday 26 April), members agreed providing over £80,000 of grant support through the Highland Coastal Communities Fund to benefit three local community projects.

The Highland Coastal Communities Fund is a new fund designed to support economic regeneration and sustainable development around coastal areas in Highland. The fund is derived from revenue generated by Scottish Government Crown Estate marine assets.

Within an overall allocation to Highland of £3,034,703, the Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh Area Committee has been awarded £347,543.75 for distribution within the Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh area.

The three applications approved today will receive a total of £80,911.02 of grant support.

Ullapool Unpacked have been awarded £22,806 towards a 3 year lease of a Zero Waste Community Shop on wheels. The mobile shop will sell a range of loose dried foods, oils, vinegars, cleaning products and zero waste accessories and travel around the community, five days a week from Gairloch up to Lochinver.

£52,605.00 has been awarded to Gairloch Area Development Ltd to replace a derelict toilet block on Gairloch Beach with a new pay for use, accessible toilet/shower/waste disposal facility located alongside the boardwalk.

Gairloch EcoCentre have successfully applied for £5,500 to employ an independent rural economist to carry out a feasibility study which will demonstrate the level of demand for such a centre, the most sustainable business model for it’s operation and the most appropriate site of the three which have been so far identified.

Members have also agreed to ringfence £40,000 to support young entrepreneurs. The detail of this will be brought back to a future Area Committee for a formal decision.

Chair of the Committee, Cllr Ian Cockburn said: “All three projects have received full support from our Committee and we look forward to seeing each of these progress. I also look forward to further discussions on how the money ring-fenced for young entrepreneurs can best be used to support local people and create sustainable local job opportunities.”