£430,000 fund opens for projects to revive Moray town centres
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MORE than £430,000 has been made available to revitalise town centres in Moray.
Moray Council is now welcoming bids for the Moray Town Centre Capital Fund, with the cash made available by the Scottish Government.
The fund is open to businesses to help transform large retail spaces into smaller units in the centres of Elgin, Forres, Buckie, Lossiemouth and Keith.
The council can award grants of up to 50 per cent of eligible costs for such work, capped at £50,000.
Grants are also available for projects to turn empty properties into residential or student accommodation.
This scheme is open to projects in Lhanbryde, Burghead, Hopeman, Dufftown, Kinloss, Cullen, Aberlour, Rothes, Portknockie, Findochty and Mosstodloch. Up to 25 per cent of eligible costs could be funded, capped at £50,000, to cover structural works, replace windows, carry out rewiring and to create new entrances.
Council leader and chair of its economic growth, housing and environmental sustainability committee, Councillor Graham Leadbitter, said: "Our town centres are taking a big hit as a result of the pandemic and the much-reduced economic activity in our high streets, which is why this funding has been put in place by the Scottish Government.
"I am very pleased that Moray is receiving several hundred thousand pounds from the fund, as we have a long road of recovery ahead and this will offer some early opportunities for investment to help kick-start that.
"It forms an important part of our broader economic recovery work that we are pushing on with in partnership with other public bodies such as Highlands and Islands Enterprise."
The deadline for applications is November 14. More information is available on the council’s website here .
