Badenoch and Strathspey Committee approve five PBIP funding applications for local projects

Five local projects in Badenoch and Strathspey are set to share in over £120k worth of Place Based Investment Programme funding.

The Scottish Government’s Place-Based Investment Programme (PBIP) gave Highland Council £1,963,000 of ring-fenced money for 2021/22 and area distribution of the grant was agreed by Members of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee in September last year. Badenoch and Strathspey received a grant of £129,222. Members also agreed today that the remainder of the funding was to be held in contingency.

The aim of the PBIP is to ensure that all place-based investments are shaped by the needs and aspirations of local communities and accelerate ambitions for place, 20-minute neighbourhoods, town centre action, community led regeneration and community wealth building.

The current grant needs to be contractually committed by 31 March 2022.

At today’s meeting of the Badenoch and Strathspey Area Committee Members approved grants for the following projects.

• £50,000 for Kingussie Shinty Club for Market Stance Pitch’s floodlighting and fences.
• £20,706.40 for the Kingusssie K6 Memorial Project. ARC applied for a grant to provide a permanent memorial to the 60 soldiers and officer of Force K6, Royal Indian Army Service Corps, who died during WW2 across Scotland, England, Wales and Europe.
• £23,900 for Grantown Initiative’s Burnfield Public Convenience Project. The group asked for funding towards the £44,900 refurbishment of Burnfield Public Convenience, including motorhome waste disposal.
• £10,000 for Boat of Garten Community Company’s Woodland Wheels Pump Track Floodlights.
• £15,000 towards Grantown Initiative’s £80,000 project to regenerate Dulaig Play Park and install new play equipment.

The three below applications were not approved at this time, but the Area Chair said that it does not mean they will not be eligible to apply for funding in the future.

• £97,980 for Newtonmore Village Hall to build an extension and provide a community kitchen, disabled toilet and accessible shower and changing facility.
• £61,165 for Grantown Society’s Burnfield Garden.
• £15,000 towards The Group’s £120,000 project to regenerate Newtonmore Play Park and install new play equipment.

Cllr Bill Lobban, Chair of the Badenoch and Strathspey Area Committee, said: “This is an investment in our local communities, an investment that communities have been crying out for.

“Looking at the range of projects that have been approved today, with others waiting in the wings, we will see substantial improvements in overall look and feel of the places we all live and work in.”