Town to receive shopfront improvement funding

Campbeltown is expected to receive more than £10,000 to further improve shopfronts after Argyll and Bute Council received funding from the Scottish Government’s Town Centre Capital Fund.

The total grant of £444,000 from the fund is being shared evenly between the council’s four administrative areas.

In Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands, £33,500 each is being proposed to be distributed for shopfronts in Lochgilphead, Tarbert and Bowmore on Islay, while the remaining £10,500 share would go towards shopfronts in Campbeltown.

In all cases, property owners would be required to contribute towards improvement works.

Councillors were scheduled to be asked to approve a full list of capital projects at a full meeting yesterday (Thursday, October 22).

Council executive director Kirsty Flanagan said in a covering report: ‘Due to the immediate need to build resilience within the economy, the aim of the fund is to support construction activity within town centres.

‘A key constraint of the fund is therefore the tight timeline to physically deliver capital projects within the current financial year, or at the very least, agree a signed contract for the works or be started on site by April 1, 2021.

‘Consequently, it is likely that any works we can support are part of an established programme of works, potential match funding is in place if required, and staff/community resources are in place to deliver the identified capital projects.

‘Projects have been chosen to support the viability of our town centres and, where possible, linked to either a town centre action plan that has often been taken forward through a making places initiative.

‘To achieve a range of capital projects that will make a meaningful difference there is a need to make quick decisions and link where possible to established programmes of work.’

South Kintyre councillor Rory Colville told the Courier: ‘I am delighted to note that as a result of the previous uptake by shopkeepers this further funding could result in a total of 30 town centre shops being able to access financial support to improve their external appearance.’

Argyll First Councillor Donald Kelly added: ‘I am disappointed that Campbeltown has only been awarded £10,500 given the excellent track record we have in delivering shopfront improvements.’