Chair welcomes over £2m of regeneration funding for three Highland projects
The Chair of The Highland Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Ken Gowans, has welcomed the announcement that three Highland projects have been successful in applying for funding support under the latest round of funding from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF).
Gro For You - Community Innovation Campus in Tain has been awarded £450,000 to establish a five-acre campus to offer training in sustainable food production, promote zero waste and deliver courses focused on tackling food poverty and poor mental health. The site will also include sensory gardens and motorhome waste facilities. (Total project £1,220,000).
John O’Groats Mill: A Power for the Community have received £1,500,000 towards total project cost of £4,682,689. The project will bring an unused B listed former corn mill now on the Buildings at risk register, back into use as a new heritage visitor attraction and community venue. Vacant for over 20 years, the charitable John O’Groats Mill Trust will use the RCGF project to bring the mill and its surrounding landscape back into use as a sustainable community asset. The physical works will see comprehensive conservation and repair of the existing building using traditional methods and materials with minimal changes to the structure. A new build extension will house the necessary services and facilities in a structure designed to tuck in to the landscape unobtrusively, helped to blend in with a green roof of indigenous species.
The third grant award goes to Knoydart Bunkhouse who will receive £560,000 for their project is to create flexible worker accommodation in the form of 6 individual pod like units, complete with separate entry ways, with bathroom and kitchen facilities. The plan is for the workers bunkhouse to be built on the vacant site of the former net shed, the area is mixed residential and commercial and is home to the community gardens, Knoydart Bunkhouse, Garage, industrial units and residential properties. Building on this former industrial area will contribute greatly to the regeneration of this part of Knoydart and promoting wellbeing and sense of place through improved surroundings. (Total project cost £680,000)
Cllr Ken Gowans said: “It is terrific news that these three very worthy community-led projects are set to benefit from RCGF funding support. There is a lot of competition across the whole of Scotland to get a share of the fund so to have over £2million awarded to invest in the Highlands is good news.
“The RCGF is all about targeting financial support to provide a boost to social and economic regeneration. I wish everyone involved in these 3 successful projects well as they now press ahead with their plans. Each of the projects is unique but they all share an ambition to make a real difference, so I look forward to seeing the benefits they bring to their local communities.”
Scottish Ministers and COSLA have committed to delivering RCGF until at least the remainder of this parliamentary term, and it is currently anticipated that the call for 2024/25 project proposals will be issued before the end of April 2023.