£1.5m funding boost for Fife town centres

Fife’s town centres have been handed a £1.5m boost.

The funding came in the latest Scottish Government allocation.

The investment formed part of a £30 million package to support economic recovery after lockdown.

The decision on where to spend it will now fall to councillors - and they will have to move quickly.

The money has to be spent, or committed, by Aril 2021.

Altany Craik, Fife Council’s economy convener, welcomed the extra investment for the region’s town centres.

He said: “We will have to explore where best to invest this money and quickly, as once again this is in year spending and will need to be committed before April.

“We will follow a similar process to last time in an attempt to develop projects that can be delivered within the timescale..”

All 32 of Scotland’s local authorities, and more than 25 individual community regeneration projects, shared the pot of money from Holyrood.

Aileen Campbell, Communities Secretary said: “We want to go beyond rebuilding - to refresh and reform and help drive the social and economic renewal necessary to achieve the best future for Scotland.

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“This further £30 million capital funding for regeneration and town centres will stimulate local construction across Scotland and support disadvantaged areas in the recovery.

“Communities are best placed to identify specific needs and aspirations and this regeneration funding enables the delivery of a wide range of locally-developed projects to be made into reality.

“Our places must work for our communities, and the Town Centre Funding will build on the success of last year’s fund.”

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