Badenoch & Strathspey Committee Members approve Place Based Investment Fund applications
Members at today’s Badenoch and Strathspey Area Committee green lit funding for a variety of initiatives aimed at supporting community regeneration and address the harms of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following a call for applications to support community regeneration back in November 2021, Members today considered all the received applications and approved £64,500 of Place Based Investment Funds to the following:
- Aviemore Community Enterprise, Myrtlefield Redevelopment Feasibility Study - £14,500
- Grantown Initiative in partnership with the Highland Council, Dulaig Playing Area and Pitch Project - £10,000
- Kingussie & Vicinity Community Council, Glebe Ponds Restoration Feasibility Study - £9,779
- Badenoch Heritage, Storylands Session - £1,950
- Kincraig & Vicinity Community Council, Kincraig Community Toilet and Parking Feasibility Study - £9,312
- Aviemore & Glenmore Community Trust, Dalfaber Land Community Park Feasibility Study - £10,000
- Contingency provision for Play and Project Development - £8,959
At the last Area Committee in November 2021 Members had agreed to set up a Challenge Fund using some of the £100,000 Place Based Investment Fund cash the area received from Highland Council last March.
The Challenge Fund placed the focus on community regeneration projects.
In order to approve the above projects Members also had to agree to reallocate the remaining balance of £9,500 from the Housing Needs Feasibility Study via the Community Challenge fund, to increase the funding available for allocation to £64,500.
In relation to the Housing for Business Project Scoping Project Members also agreed to build upon feasibility studies and business case already developed and target the remaining funds of £1,700 in support of concluding the joint work started with the Cairngorm Business Partnership.
It was also agreed to utilise £10,000 of funding to investigate potential support to local businesses based on the findings of the Independent Audit of Empty Commercial Units and Proposals for Potential Solutions.
The total funding pot for community regeneration projects of £64,500 comprises £50,000 allocated at the November area committee, £9,500 reallocated from the housing needs project and £5,000 remaining of the total Place Based Investment Fund.
Chair of the Badenoch and Strathspey Area Committee, Cllr Bill Lobban, said: “One of the difficulties communities have is kick-starting their projects and as a local Area Committee we are seldom available to help financially.
“All that has changed with this timely allocation of funding. This means that a number of worthwhile community projects can be quickly be brought forward to the final funding stage and then on to construction.”