Commenting on the news that Dunoon and Bowmore have both been awarded £300,000 from the Scottish Government's town centre regeneration fund, Jamie McGrigor, Highlands & Islands MSP, who was speaking in Dunoon on the day the announcement was made, said:

" These significant boosts to Dunoon and Bowmore, coming on top of the investment in Tarbert announced in the summer, are a demonstration that the Scottish Conservatives, as a result of hard-fought budget negotiations, are delivering practical benefits to local communities. We are committed to seeing our town centres and high streets regenerated through support for private enterprise and small business which will raise morale and inject new enthusiasm and hope into our settlements.

" This funding would not have been available if Labour and the Liberal Democrats had succeeded in their plans to block the Town Centre Regeneration Fund. It is further help for struggling communities in Labour’s recession."

ENDs…

For all further information, please call Jamie's office on 0131 348 5616.

Notes to Editors

1)      The Scottish Government has today allocated £20m of funding to the following communities:

* Aberdeen - Mastrick, Peterculter, Cults and Rosemount (£686,000) and Retail Rocks in Torry (£572,500)

* Aberdeenshire - Oldmeldrum (£140,000), MacDuff (£250,000) and Laurencekirk (£467,000)

* Angus - Brechin (£1,800,000)

* Argyll & Bute - Bowmore (£300,000) and Dunoon (£300,000)

* Aberdeenshire - Huntly (£200,000)

* Western Isles - Stornoway (£1,500,000)

* Dumfries and Galloway - Stranraer (£790,000)

* East Ayrshire - Kilmarnock (£1,156,500)

* East Dunbartonshire - Kirkintillock (£361,000)

* South Lanarkshire - East Kilbride (£100,000)

* East Lothian - Prestonpans and Tranent (£300,000)

* Highland - Fort William (£317,400) and Nairn (£800,000)

* Midlothian - Dalkeith (£800,000)

* Orkney - Stromness (£381,000)

* Perth and Kinross - Perth town centre (£750,000)

* Inverclyde - Port Glasgow (£600,000) and Gourock (£300,000)

* Borders - Jedburgh (£606,745)

* Shetland - Lerwick (£308,000)

* Moray - Elgin, Buckie, Lossiemouth and Forres (£670,460)

* West Dunbartonshire - Clydebank South Bank (£1,825,493) and Dunbarton town centre: High Street and Riverside Lane (£450,000)

* North Ayrshire - West Kilbride (£431,720)

* West Lothian - Armadale, Almondvale, Broxburn, Whitburn and Linlithgow (£1,745,300) and Bathgate (£600,000)

2)      In August 2009, the Scottish Government announced £40m of funding to:

[Source: Scottish Government]
Local Authority area    Lead applicant  Project title   Award  
Aberdeenshire   Aberdeenshire Council   Stonehaven Town Hall & environs 181,500
Aberdeenshire   Fraserburgh Development Trust Ltd       Eyesores Remedy Project - Fraserburgh Town Centre       255,000
Argyll & Bute   Tarbert (Loch Fyne) Harbour Authority   Tarbert (Loch Fyne) Town Centre Regeneration Initiative 984,500
Clackmannanshire        Clackmannanshire Council        Imagine Alloa   2,000,000      
Dumfries & Galloway     Dumfries & Galloway Council     Dumfries: A Capital Project     1,965,000      
Dumfries & Galloway     Upper Nithsdale Arts & Crafts Community Initiative      All the Airts   341,032
Dundee City     Dundee City Council     The Lochee Project      2,000,000      
East Ayrshire   East Ayrshire Council   Galston - Achieving Sustainable Regeneration    250,000
East Ayrshire   East Ayrshire Council   Cumnock:Creating Civic Space    749,000
East Lothian    East Lothian Council    Dunbar Town Centre Improvement Project  416,850
East Renfrewshire       East Renfrewshire Council       Better Barrhead: Town Centre Regeneration       906,000
Edinburgh City  City of Edinburgh Council       Building stronger town centres in Edinburgh: Portobello 582,014.50     
Edinburgh City  PARC Craigmillar URC    Creating a new heart (town centre) for Craigmillar      2,000,000      
Falkirk Falkirk Council Falkirk Town Centres: Regeneration      2,000,000      
Fife    Fife Council    Kirkcaldy - bringing new life   2,000,000      
Fife    Fife HARCA Ltd  Lochgelly Business Centre       1,750,000      
Glasgow City    Glasgow City Council    Govan Cross Improvement Works   1,300,000      
Glasgow City    Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust      Maryhill Burgh Halls    1,800,000      
Glasgow City    Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company        Former Olympia Theatre  1,950,000      
Highland        Highland Council        Accessible and Attractive Dingwall      462,920
Inverclyde      Riverside inverclyde URC        Greenock town centre    1,320,000      
North Ayrshire  Cumbrae Community Development Company   Millport Town Centre Regeneration - Business, Arts & Culture    397,678.24     
North Ayrshire  Irvine Bay Developments Ltd     Ardrossan Key Buildings Regeneration Scheme     800,000
North Ayrshire  Irvine Bay Developments Ltd     Saltcoats Key Building Regeneration Scheme      650,000
North Lanarkshire       North Lanarkshire Council       Revitalising North Lanarkshire's town centres   2,745,000      
Perth & Kinross Perth and Kinross Council       Regeneration of Coupar Angus Town Centre        200,000
Perth & Kinross Blairgowrie and Rattray Regeneration Company Ltd        Ericht Project  1,500,000      
Perth and Kinross       Friends of the Birk Cinema      The Birks Cinema        320,075
Renfrewshire    Renfrewshire Council    Renfrewshire's Town Centres     775,000
Renfrewshire    Renfrewshire Council    New life for Paisley town centre        1,830,000      
Scottish Borders        Scottish Borders Council        Hawick Town Centre Environmental Improvements   353,000
South Ayrshire  Ayr Renaissance LLP     Ayr Renaissance - North Hub Redevelopment       2,258,000      
South Lanarkshire       Biggar Theatre Workshop Biggar Corn Exchange Development        197,354
South Lanarkshire       The Bubbles Factory Limited     The Bubbles Factory Limited     550,370
Stirling        Dunblane Development Trust      Dunblane High Street Gap Site   1,200,000      
Stirling        Raploch Urban Regeneration Company              1,000,000      

Douglas W. Pattullo
Parliamentary Aide to Jamie McGrigor MSP
Tel: 0131 348 5616
Fax: 0131 348 5656
Mob: 07765 470 109
http://www.jamiemcgrigormsp.com