LEADER is a European Union Community Initiative aimed at promoting economic and community development within rural areas.
The Highland LEADER Programme has received an award of £14.26m (LEADER £6.76m and Convergence £7.5m) for the period 2007-2013. The funds will be amalgamated and run as a single programme across Highland.
This amount is a significant increase compared to the earlier LEADER+ programme (£2.5 million) which finished last year and is over 15.5% of the overall LEADER 2007-2013 allocation for Scotland (£38.5m).
At its meeting on 29th October 2008, the Strategic LAG (Local Action Group) decided that it would open the programme for a shadow round of applications. The shadow round is open to applications which are time critical and have ALL match funding confirmed. Shadow round applications will be accepted up until 8th December 2008 with approvals in late January 2009.
The programme will be formally open for all other applications as of 11th December 2008.
General enquires should be made to:
Nicole Wallace - Programme Manager (Job Share)
The Highland Council, Planning and Development, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, IV3 5NX
Tel – 01463 702 524 or 07899 968 205
Email - nicole.wallace@highland.gov.uk
Nicola Ewing - Programme Manager (Job Share)
HIE, 69-71 High Street, Invergordon, IV18 0AA Tel – 01349 855 233 or 07789 878 285
Email - nicola.ewing@hie.co.uk
Wendy Anderson - Programme Administrator
The Highland Council, Planning and Development, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, IV3 5NX
Tel – 01463 702 548
Email - wendy.anderson.planning@highland.gov.uk
Vacant Post- Programme Clerical Assistant
The Highland Council, Planning and Developmemt, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, IV3 5NX
Local Development Officers:
Fiona Cameron - Development Officer
(Caithness, Sutherland, Thurso, Wick, Cromarty Firth, Tain and Easter Ross)
The Highland Council, Drummuie, Golspie, KW10 6TA
Tel – 07827 281 469 or 01408 635 215
Email - fiona.cameron4@highland.gov.uk
Martin Culbertson - Development Officer
(Aird, Loch Ness, Rural Inverness, Nairn, Caol, Mallaig, Fort William and Ardnamurchan)
Lochaber House, High Street, Fort William, PH33 6EL
Tel – 07827 281468 or 01397 707 209
Email - martin.culbertson@highland.gov.uk
Liz Whiteford - Development Officer
(Dingwall & Seaforth, Black Isle, Wester Ross, Strathpeffer, Lochalsh and Skye)
HIE, 69-71 High Street, Invergordon, IV08 0AA Tel - 07920 543 719 Email - liz.whiteford@highland.gov.uk