Angus misses out on Cities Deal bonanza.

Money was earmarked for Angus housing project

The loss to Angus of a £3 million Tay Cities cash windfall has provoked fury.

A sum of £3m originally earmarked for a housing project in Arbroath has gone to Crieff, Kinross and St Andrews instead.

Council leader David Fairweather said Angus had been “overwritten” in the announcement of new investment for a Crieff International Highland Centre charting Highland sports, dance and music, as well as £1.6m for Aero Space Kinross and £100,000 to upgrade tiny Innerpeffray Library.

The sum was originally earmarked for a 2,500-home plan on land at Arbroath’s 45 Commando Royal Marine base.

Mr Fairweather said: “We were delighted when the announcement was made that 45 Commando was remaining at Condor.

“But we also understood that the funding that was earmarked for Arbroath would remain in Arbroath, particularly when 2020 is such an eventful and significant historical year for Arbroath, Scotland and the United Kingdom.

“We have submitted a project for the former Condor monies of £3m towards an £18m innovative, zero-carbon housing project.”

The scheme involves 100 new-build and 50 retrofitted homes.

Mr Fairweather added: “We planned to share our technology and learning with partners in Tay Cities region and beyond.

“To add to our disappointment, we are very surprised to see that the projects now proposed were not in the initial heads of terms.

“Our understanding and that of our local partners is no new bids were being brought forward.

“We are surprised at the nature of the three new tourism projects. They do not fit within the devolved arrangements for UK Government funding and there is already a robust culture and tourism programme within Tay Cities Deal which we have been working on with partners for many months.

“This announcement effectively means that our joint co-operative working locally has been overwritten.

“I will be writing to the Secretary of State for Scotland to outline this council’s dissatisfaction with this unilateral decision.”

A UK Government spokesperson said: “The Mod’s ongoing commitment to Condor is a welcome boost to the local community.

“We hope that all local authorities in the area will work together to deliver these exciting projects. The hard work starts now.”

Angus SNP MSP Graeme Dey said: “Eight months ago I wrote to the then Secretary of State for Scotland, seeking an assurance the £3m, notional value, would be made available for projects in Angus rather than deployed elsewhere across wider Tayside.

“I was accused at the time, by our local Tory MP, of scaremongering.

“It turns out my concerns were entirely justified.”