Q: What's Moray's share of £200m?
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Moray has missed out on up to £4 million to help fragile communities, according to one councillor.
Sandy Keith (Elgin North, Labour) claims that not one penny from the Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund has been spent in the area since it opened for bids eight years ago.
Cllr Keith was speaking during today's meeting of the corporate services committee where it was agreed the council should apply for £4.5 million for projects in Speyside, Lossiemouth and Forres.
Bids to the fund can only be accepted from local authorities.
Therefore the council will be applying on behalf of three charities.
Tomintoul and Glenlivet Development Trust wants £1.2million to help build a £1.7million camp site just outside Tomintoul.
Lossie 2-3 Group is looking to create a wellbeing hub in the former Warehouse Theatre, where services such as childcare will be provided as well as classes in parenting skills and mental health care.
The group already has in place a 25-year lease, planning permission and £50,000.
An application of £300,000 will be made to cover the rest of the costs.
Forres Area Community Trust wants £3 million from the fund to help with a £3.74million transformation of the town hall, which it already owns following an asset transfer from the council.
Cllr Keith stated millions of pounds should already be benefitting communities across Moray.
He said: "I wonder if there’s been a missed opportunity here.
"There’s been nine funding rounds since 2014 and somewhere around £209.3 million available for distribution.
"In Moray we’ve received nothing, not one penny.
"A funding distribution model could have seen £3.5million-£4 million for Moray.
"I wish these projects well, but we need assurances going forward Moray will be listened to."
Cllr Keith called for the political leadership of the council to raise the issue with the Scottish Government and Cosla.
Together these bodies run the fund, whose stated aim is to tackle inequality and support growth in disadvantaged communities across Scotland.
John Cowe (Heldon and Laich, Independent) praised the work of the Lossie 2-3 Group, especially during the pandemic, and called the group the town’s "backbone".
Graham Leadbitter (Elgin South, SNP) said the Tomintoul and Glenlivet group had taken "enormous steps forward" since they were formed.
The deadline for applications to the Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund is this Friday.
If successful the Moray bids will go to a second stage in October.
Final decisions will be announced in January.
