Bonanza as Sutherland councillors allocate coastal funding
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SUTHERLAND councillors have today allocated more than £700,000 – the county's share of the new Highland Coastal Communities Fund – to groups across the area.
Members of Sutherland County Committee considered 21 bids for funding totalling £1.2 million at a special online meeting this morning.
Committee chairman Richard Gale said at the outset: “The majority of the applications come from voluntary organisations which shows how much people are committed to working for their communities.”
Councillors agreed to slash the maximum grant from £100,000 to £80,000 in order to spread the funding further.
Bids from four groups were rejected – Plastic@Bay (£178,750 to track plastic pollution); Golspie Golf Club (£22,240 for a clubhouse refurbishment); Helmsdale and District Development Group (£35,000 for a renovation of the Old Bank building); and Dornoch Free Church (£50,000 for a renovation project).
Cllr Gale said difficult decisions had had to be made.
The following bids were successful, although some groups received less funding than requested: Assynt Leisure (£68,230 for the Cludgie Project); Helmsdale and District Development Group (£19,298 towards a multi-use games area); Scourie Community Development Company (£80,000 for its Scourie Rocks project); East and Central Sutherland CAB (£11,068 for a new post); Clyne Heritage Society (£52,000 for the Old Clyne School project); Brora Primary Parent Council (£25,000 for a play park renovation); Dornoch Area Community Interest Company (£80,000 towards its car/coach/motorhome park); Kinlochbervie Community Company ( £6220 for a slow tourism scheme); Kyle of Sutherland Development Trust (£71,678 for tourism infrastructure); Kinlochbervie Playing Field Association (£37,724 for a playing field); Skerray Harbour (£10,000 for harbour works); Skerray village hall (£15,000 for refurbishment); the Assynt Foundation (£26,980 for road improvements; Go Golspie (£80,000 for a breakwater and £61,000 for the YMCA hall restoration; Brora and District Action Group (£52,000 for Brora Vision scheme); Helmsdale Development Group (£4200 for e-bikes).
County allocated major share of new coastal fund
