From seaweed school to mountain biking... the £18m UK bonus

DOZENS of Scottish projects will share an £18million windfall under plans to ‘level up’ the UK.

A total of 56 projects in 21 Scottish council areas have been awarded cash by the UK Government through the new Community Renewal Fund.

Recipients range from a ‘seaweed academy’ in Argyll, to street performances and festivals in Aberdeen and electric vehicle charging points in the Borders.

It is the latest UK Government spending using funds previously controlled by the European Union before Brexit.

The move comes a week after Rishi Sunak’s Budget included an announcement that eight Scottish councils would share £172million of investment through the ‘Levelling Up Fund’ and five groups would receive £1million from the Community Ownership Fund.

Revealing the latest spending plans, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said: ‘As we unite and level up the whole United Kingdom, we are determined to help communities the length and breadth of the country make the most of their talents and create new opportunities in their areas.

‘The funding we are announcing today supports local projects across Scotland, from the Borders to Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles), which will create new jobs and help us to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.’

The projects have been chosen to help people into work, boost productivity and deliver net-zero emission targets.

Across the whole of the UK, government spending will support almost 500 projects in towns, villages and coastal communities.

Among those set to benefit in Scotland is a scheme to create a ‘seaweed academy’ at Dunstaffnage, near Oban, in Argyll, which will receive £407,715 to pay for training and education on seaweed farming. Housing association residents in the Borders will receive £214,450 of digital skills and financial literacy training, as well as mental support. The biggest single award is £960,500 for the Crichton, a carbon-neutral ‘21st century village’ in Dumfries.

Nearly half a million pounds has been awarded to employment support schemes in North Lanark shire, with £300,000 for street performances and cultural festivals in Aberdeen and £187,000 will support the development of electric charging points in the Borders.

Clydeside Initiative for Arts, better known as SWG3, will receive £480,000 for its Glasgow Riverside Innovation District project to create a cultural, net-zero area by rebuilding on derelict land.

Scottish Cycling has also been awarded £158,041 to help develop a mountain biking centre in Peeblesshire.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said yesterday: ‘This is real devolution in action which will help local areas thrive as we build back better, stronger and greener from the pandemic.’

Scottish Tory local government spokesman Miles Briggs said: ‘The UK Government is empowering working people across Scotland by backing exciting projects that will invest in skills, create jobs and help support small businesses.’

SNP Employment Minister Richard Lochhead said: ‘I welcome any investment in Scotland but the Community Renewal Fund not only ignores devolution it’s an inefficient use of taxpayers’ money.

‘Scotland is doubly shortchanged because these funds do not fully replace the EU funding streams we have lost.’

He added: ‘Many deserving projects have been overlooked as councils were forced to compete for a share of the pot.’

‘Will help local areas thrive’