Old Farmer’s Showfield in Nairn to benefit from Covid-19 Ward Discretionary funding

Members of the Nairnshire Committee, which took place yesterday. agreed to use a share of the Ward’s remaining Covid-19 Ward Discretionary fund to allow for the continuation of grounds maintenance and continued grass cutting at the old Farmer’s Showfield in Nairn for the remainder of the 2021 season.

Members agreed to pursue a proposal to set aside £1,470 of their Covid-19 Ward Discretionary Budget for grounds maintenance during the 2021 growing season at the Farmers Showfield, enabling outdoor community activities to continue on the site.

Councillor Tom Heggie, Chair of the Nairnshire Committee, said:  “This is a popular recreational area and is used extensively by locals for informal exercise, along with organised sports clubs.  Reaching this agreement means that we are able to support safe access to the site and ensure it remains accessible for leisure activities which promote the health and well-being of the community.”

“It was possible for Nairn councillors to request and agree this due to a decision which was previously taken by full Council in January, authorising Wards with unspent Covid-19 funds to allocate sums to local projects to assist children and adults post-Covid, especially within deprived areas.”

He concluded:  “As this land is not in Council ownership, the Committee recognises that this funding is a short-term fix and there is a need to find a longer-term solution to ensure grounds maintenance and grass cutting on this site can continue beyond the 2021 season.  We will discuss this matter during our next committee.”

All Wards across Highland were awarded a sum of £16,000 in April 2020 to support Covid-19 resilience activity.  This was augmented by £10,000 in 20 Covid-vulnerable communities across the area, including Nairn West and Nairn East.  The total available Covid-19 Ward discretionary funds for Nairn were £36,000.   The remaining balance currently stands at £9,326.09.

It was agreed at Council on 7 January 2021 that to increase flexibility, there was no requirement to spend the additional monies on the Covid-vulnerable communities originally identified and that the sums available per Ward could be deployed across the area as appropriate.

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24 Jun 2021