Lochaber Area Committee has agreed to fund nine projects from the Community Regeneration Fund totalling £487,138.12 funds available to allocate, of which £486,599.40 was awarded for the Lochaber Area.

Community Regeneration Funding is an umbrella term for funding streams available for communities/organisations to access and support economic regeneration and sustainable development in Highland. This round of funding includes the Highland Coastal Communities Fund and the Place Based Investment Programme, both of which are Scottish Government Funding with devolved allocations, and decision making on which projects should receive funding sits with Elected Members.

Lochaber Area Committee Chair, Cllr Kate Willis said: "The Committee has been overwhelmed by the volume of applications received from across Lochaber. It demonstrates the strength and importance of directing funding to the heart of community led projects.

"The decision process has been difficult as we are oversubscribed and don’t have enough funds for all the projects brought before us for consideration. However, those agreed today were done so according to an approved red, amber and green RAG rating formula. The projects demonstrate: economic recovery; community resilience; mitigating impacts of the climate/ecological emergency and/or addressing the challenges of rural depopulation.

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"Further details on each project will be brought to future ward meetings for progress reporting. On behalf of the Area Committee, we would like to thank all those involved in submitting applications, we wish the projects awarded funding today the best of luck, and for those that weren’t awarded today, feedback with be provided by the Community Regeneration Fund team that will enable the project to make the necessary adjustments to strengthen any future applications."

Lochaber has a funding allocation of £487,138.12. Applications were received for 12 projects totalling £616,139.40.

• Highland Coastal Communities Fund (capital/revenue) - £350,818.12

• Place Based Investment Programme (capital) - £136,320

• Total funds available - £487,138.12

Projects awarded Community Regeneration Funding at Lochaber Committee on 24 January 2023 are as follows:

• Isle of Canna Development Trust - Coroghan Barn Redevelopment £25,000

• Communities Housing Trust - Glengarry Affordable Housing & Woodland Crofts £23,490

• Urram SCIO - Electric community car share and transport service £63,748

• Morvern Heritage Society - Lochaline Sand Mine Heritage Trail £24,601.40

• Acharacle Community Company - Community Regeneration Project £34,760

• Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust - Old Surgery Affordable Homes for rent £100,000

• Caol Regeneration Co. – Thomas Telford Corpach Marina £115,000

• Glencoe Folk Museum – Capital and Activities Redevelopment £50,000

• Eigg Trading Ltd. – Green Shed Business and Coastguard units £50,000

In total, Lochaber Members awarded £486,599.40 of available Community Regeneration Funding, leaving a balance of just under £550 which will be rolled over to the next round of Community Regeneration Funding and added to the devolved allocations for Lochaber.