Lochaber Area Committee approve Place Based Investment Programme funding to four projects

Lochaber Area Committee met yesterday (Monday 7 February 2022) and agreed to allocate a total of £154,144.00 from the Place Based Investment Programme to four projects.

The Economy and Infrastructure Committee agreed on 1 September 2021 that an area-based approach was to be adopted to manage the Scottish Government’s Place Based Investment Programme grant for 2021/22. The funding application process for Lochaber opened on 29 December 2021 and closed 21 January 2022.  A total of twelve applications were received, the total grant amount requested of £314,763.03 exceeded the Lochaber allocation of £154,144.00.

The following project applications were awarded:

• Caol Shopping Centre Car Park - £50,000.00 - Caol Community Council for resurfacing and lining of the car park.
• Fort William Pump Track - £34,000.00 - Lochaber Wheeled Sport Society for the Fort William Bike Park Project
• Canna Community Hub - £49,244.00 (subject to funding conditions) - Isle of Canna Community Development Trust towards the new Community Hub at Canna Pier.
• Glenfinnan Community Hall – £20,900.00 (subject to funding conditions) - Glenfinnan Community Facilities (SCIO) towards the capital refurbishment of a vacant property to create a community hall.

A prioritised reserve list was agreed by Members:

• Fort William – Puffer Pier - £ 11,735.39
• Lochaber Housing Association - Mallaig housing development - £10,700.00
• Arisaig Community Trust - Arisaig housing development - £ 40,550.00

Local Government will receive a share of capital funding, with £38m in 2021/22; £33m in 2022/23; £23m in 2023/24; £23m in 2024/25; and £23m in 2025/26. The £1,963,000 awarded to the Highland Council for 2021/22 is based on a distribution methodology agreed by COSLA and Scottish Ministers with 80% distributed based on the total population and number of towns, and 20% distributed based on deprivation. E&I Committee agreed that the same formula be applied to arrive at the area committee allocations. Subject to no changes being made to the distribution formula, The Highland Council can expect the following awards in future years:

• £1,704,710 in 2022/23

• £1,188,131 in 2023/24

• £1,188,131 in 2024/25

• £1,188,131 in 2025/26