Highlands and Islands receive £6.5m to fund infrastructure projects

Published on 27/12/2012 01:02

The Highlands and Islands have been given a £6.5 million share of a funding package for local authorities to be spent on 
infrastructure projects.

The funding, to be delivered this year and next, was announced by finance secretary John Swinney.

The cash will be spent on about a dozen projects, including construction on Barmuckity Business Park in Elgin and developing properties in Argyll and the Islands, the West of Scotland and Inner Moray Firth.

The money is part of the £46m of extra support for 
councils announced by Mr Swinney at Holyrood last week.

He said: “These projects will provide an immediate and much-needed stimulus for the construction sector across the Highlands and Islands and provide the wider business community with the facilities it needs 
to be truly competitive as the economy emerges from its so-far frail recovery.”

Alex Paterson, chief executive of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), which will 
distribute the funding, said: 
“This additional funding from the Scottish Government will help HIE accelerate a series 
of shovel-ready infrastructure projects which will benefit businesses and communities in several key locations across the Highlands over the next two years.”