Kinross in line for space hub investment.

Government announcement to unveil latest round of Tay Cities Deal

It was always supposed to broaden the region’s horizons, but a funding announcement announced today will see Courier Country reaching for the stars.

In the latest round of funding announced for the Tay Cities Deal, Aero Space Kinross (ASK) is set to benefit from around £1.5 million in funding.

The Courier understands an announcement is to be made by the UK Government later today regarding funds for new projects in the Tayside and North Fife and Angus areas.

It is also understood funding for a library in Perthshire will be announced.

ASK has been raising money for a state-of-the-art space-themed visitor centre which board members hope will create an interactive, fun, educational and inspirational experience.

The project is looking to create an all-year-around visitor attraction which will be designed to inform, educate and inspire on aero space related sciences and career related flight themed science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem) subjects.

The venture has also confirmed it has been approved as an emerging site for a Challenger Centre in Scotland, one of only three outside of the United States.

It follows the initial signing of the Tay Cities Deal in November last year, which saw more than £700 million promised in investment.

Funding for 23 projects was unlocked as part of the “transformative” deal, with £150 million from both the UK and Scottish Governments to be delivered over the next decade-and-a-half.

Under the deal more than £60m will go to the James Hutton Institute in Invergowrie, £37m of investment will be ploughed into local tourism and culture, more than £10m will go towards a cyber security centre in Dundee, several million will be invested in St Andrews University’s Eden Campus and £15m will go towards a Perth bus and rail interchange project.

It is understood the money is being diverted from a house building project in Angus, which would have seen 2,500 homes on land at RM Condor on the outskirts of Arbroath constructed.

The airfield section of the base was due to be decontaminated by the UK Government and handed over, free, to Angus Council for the construction of thousands of new homes.

It was announced earlier this year the project was to be scrapped.

It is understood a pot of around £25 million is being kept for future projects in the Angus area.