Scottish projects set to benefit from UK Government's direct "levelling up" funding

Glasgow’s Burrell Collection will benefit from £3 million investing for exhibitions, while Inverness Castle will undergo major refurbishment work and Aberdeen is set for a new £20 million marketplace, following investment allocated in the Westminster Budget.

Art technicians Andy Cavanagh (left) and Paul McCall last month moving a painting entitled 'Self Portrait' (1632) by Rembrandt at the Burrell Collection, Glasgow prior to the museum renovation.

The investment was revealed as part of funding rounds allocated through the Autumn Budget, delivered at Westminster by Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

A total of £172.7m of investment will fund projects in Scotland’s communities with the first round of awards in two new ground-breaking funds.

The £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund, administered over four years, will invest in infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK, including regenerating town centres and high streets, upgrading local transport, and investing in cultural and heritage assets. Eight projects in Scotland – including the Westfield roundabout in Falkirk, which will get a £20m injection, a zero carbon project at Inverness Castle, improvements on B714 and a masterplan for Aberdeen city centre worth £20m, will get a share of £171,708,259, representing 10 per cent of the total awarded in the UK.

The £150 million Community Ownership Fund, administered over four years, will help communities purchase and refurbish assets at risk of closure. Facilities including sports halls, cinemas, theatres, parks and shops are all covered by the fund that will run until 2024/25 and will have at least eight bidding rounds. Five projects in Scotland, including Callander Visitor Information Centre and the New Galloway town hall, have been awarded a total of £1,068,939, 20 per cent of the total funds awarded UK-wide.

Awards made under the UK Community Renewal Fund, an additional £220m to help local areas prepare for the launch of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in 2022, will be announced in due course.

Separately, up to £3 million will be invested to bring “world-class art exhibitions” to the Burrell Collection in Glasgow, which is due to reopen next March following its £68m refurbishment.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “From the Knoydart community pub, to Dumbarton town centre and the Granton Gasworks – all these projects will bring real, visible improvements for local communities. Special funding for Glasgow’s iconic Burrell Collection and Extreme E will help drive economic growth and jobs on the back of culture and tourism."

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