Communities across Scotland are to benefit from the latest round of Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) funding.

Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, made the announcement during her keynote speech at the Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS) Annual Congress in Linlithgow.

This is the sixth round of CARS funding, with £26m having been invested by the Scottish Government in projects across Scotland since 2007.

Applications for this round will open early in the new year with a closing date of 31 August 2014.

CARS specifically targets conservation areas with social and economic disadvantages that make it difficult to attract investment in sustainable regeneration. The scheme assists these areas by channelling funding towards opportunities to enhance sustainable economic growth and help support projects that develop an area's sense of place.

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Ms Hyslop told BEFS delegates that the scheme has attracted funding from other sources.

In the first year of the scheme, £6.7m was invested through CARS, delivering improvements to 28,000 sq m of public realm, and the rejuvenation and reuse of 15,000 sq m of vacant floor space. This investment attracted a further £18.6m from other sources – a leverage of extra funding of 3 to 1.

Ms Hyslop explained: "This investment will build on the considerable benefits that CARS is already delivering for communities across Scotland since 2007. It will help reinvigorate our villages, towns and cities and give people a sense of place and pride in their surroundings.

"Investment in our historic environment is key to contributing to an improved quality of life for many people across Scotland. Not only does CARS breathe new life into our communities it is instrumental in stimulating economic growth through new employment opportunities and promoting traditional skills as well as boosting the local tourism industry."

CARS is open to Local and National Park Authorities, community groups and other third sector organisations delivering multi-funded projects. The funding can be utilised for a number of purposes from priority repairs and small grants to homeowners and retailers, to providing traditional craft training opportunities.

(JP/IT)