Newcastleton will benefit from its share of £1.34m. government funding

NEWCASTLETON and District Community Trust has secured funding from the UK government’s Community Renewal Fund.

Borders projects will benefit from £1.34m. of the Fund, which is a £220m. pot of money designed to support communities to pilot new ideas and approaches to better support people in need.

Newcastleton and District Community Trust will be given £90,739 for a feasibility study to develop an area of land purchased.

The study will encourage inclusive growth and will investigate potential uses such as accommodation, leisure activities, renewables and forest and land management.

They are just one of eight projects in the Borders that will receive funding, however, they have said they will wait to receive confirmation of the funding details before they will comment.

Others to benefit include the Borders College, the Berwickshire Housing programme, the Scottish Borders Community Development Company, and the Southern Uplands Partnership.

In addition, the Scottish Borders will receive £187,272 to develop the electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

A total of 14 applications were initially identified by Scottish Borders Council and submitted to the UK government for their consideration.

There remains one submitted bid which is still pending a decision.

Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk MP John Lamont said congratulated everyone, including residents, who were involved in the application.

“It is vital that the government support rural areas like this to help level up the country,” he said.

“They are a very successful group who are making real changes to the area.

“This £90,000 will help identify new ways for the community to move forward and use their community land most effectively.”

Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire MSP, Rachael Hamilton MSP, added: “The UK government’s Community Renewal Fund is a wonderful example of supporting community projects with direct funding.

“The land at Holm Hill has major potential to grow Newcastleton and surrounding communities and they have been helped on their way by the chancellor.

“This is a perfect example of the UK government continuing to step up to support rural communities that often feel they are left behind.”

The money distributed will pave the way for the introduction of a UK Shared Prosperity Fund which will replace similar funding that was issued through the European Union.

The projects that have been granted funding are required to deliver their projects by the end of June.

All of the successful applicants will be supported by SBC throughout the delivery of their projects to help maximise their impact and ensure they are delivered within the stated timeframe.