Moray Conservatives have welcomed news that a multi-billion-pound fund to ‘level up’ communities will now be expanded to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Steve Barclay said today that at least £800million of extra investment by the UK Government will be made available under the Levelling Up Fund.
This could be used for town centre and high street regeneration, local transport, cultural and business projects.
The original £4billion fund was announced at the last UK Spending Review and was designed to invest in local infrastructure in the regions of England. It was targeted specifically at areas that had received less government investment in recent years. It will now be made available to “all corners” of the UK.
Scottish Conservative MP for Moray Douglas Ross said:
“This is great news and could have a significant impact on communities like those right here in Moray.
“Every part of the country has benefited from the UK Government’s economic support during the Covid pandemic, from the furlough scheme and self-employment support to the vaccine roll-out.
“The extension of the Levelling Up Fund will help with the next stage, which will be to rebuild our economy.
“The UK Government will deal directly with local councils, and I think that Moray would be well placed to receive support given the area has missed out over the years in terms of direct investment from the Scottish Government.
“There are a number of local projects that I feel would be well suited to this funding and it will be exciting to see them developed with the backing of the UK Government."
Scottish Conservative council group leader Tim Eagle said:
“I am delighted to hear that the levelling up fund will be extended into Scotland.
“It is something I have long thought should be happening and I am sure the extra investment will be welcomed by those communities that benefit from it.
“I am sure that Moray Council can make a strong case for local investment here to help our communities to recover from the devastating impact of the pandemic.
“I look forward to hearing more details about how this fund will work, how to apply and what type of projects will be eligible for support.”