MSP welcomes £20m funding for Macduff and Peterhead
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP Karen Adam has welcomed the award of £20 million to Aberdeenshire from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund while also challenging them to match the Scottish Government’s £500 million Just Transition Fund.
The MSP has said the £20 million award should be the “bare minimum” of what the area receives, and has asked the UK Government to match the SNP’s commitment to the region.
Under Aberdeenshire Council’s plans, the existing aquarium at Macduff will see improvements to the visitor experience and include expanded exhibits and enhanced facilities. In Peterhead they will focus on restoration work for the Arbuthnot Museum and the creation of a "cultural quarter".
A report is due to be tabled for a future meeting of full council at Woodhill House to seek approval to accept the funding with the council likely being required to provide match funding to see the projects through.
MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast Karen Adam said: “The Levelling Up Fund was put in place to make up for the lost funding revenue after leaving the EU, so although I welcome the award of £20 million for Arbuthnot House, the aquarium in Macduff, and Peterhead’s cultural quarter from the fund, this has only partially covered what revenue we would have otherwise been entitled to.
“I look forward to seeing the projects progress which will further boost Banffshire and Buchan Coasts' unique selling point as a premium tourist destination.
"The success of this has undoubtedly been made possible because of the invaluable contribution of activists and community groups.
“It has to be said though that £20 million is a drop in the ocean in comparison to what the north-east has generated for the coffers of Westminster.
"The rest of the UK has done very well off the back of the north-east of Scotland so this should be the absolute bare minimum of what is being awarded for our area.
"It’s long time a proportionate sum of the money generated, filling the UK’s coffers, was actually reinvested here.
“If the Conservative UK Government would like to show any form of serious commitment to the region, they should start by matching the Scottish Government’s £500 million Just Transition Fund for the north-east and Moray, and also give the green light to the Acorn Project which would bring a truly innovating and transformational initiative to the region.”
