UK Government invests £20 million in Argyll and Bute
The UK Government has committed more than £20 million to multiple projects in Argyll and Bute as part of its Community Regeneration Partnership Fund.
The £20.25 million package is mostly being split between projects in Oban, Islay and Mull, with support also going to Bute and Dunoon.
Of these projects, the largest lump sum is going to Oban Airport for the development of its business park. £7.4 million will go towards the construction of two key commercial buildings as part of phase two of the Business Park development.
These buildings will be up for lease, and planning permission to build them has already been approved. The money goes alongside the £7.25 million councillors have already set aside to develop additional roads, infrastructure, and utilities at the airport.
A package of £100,000 has also been invested into assessing providers to develop modular homes in Oban, a potentially significant step towards addressing the housing emergency.
Major investment has also gone to much needed accommodation on two of Argyll’s most significant island communities.
£2 million is going to the longstanding Islay Housing Fund and council staff accommodation in Bowmore on Islay, and another £1 million is going to MICT’s (Mull and Iona Community Trust) project for essential worker accommodation in Tobermory.
Bowmore is getting another investment of £320,000 for the renovation and reopening of its town hall, which was forced to close after asbestos, roof leaks and black mould were discovered in 2021.
MICT have also seen £20,000 of support for the upkeep of the Wilson-Thomson Helipad at Mull and Iona Community Hospital.
Another £1.9 million has been pledged to help the council acquire and resell vacant housing.
Another exciting investment is being made in Dunstaffnage as marine science is receiving a significant boost.
The exciting project to further the development of Camas House, the second business office/laboratory development of the European Marine Science Park, will receive £1.6 million.
Camas House is specifically developed to support business growth in the marine economy, and is hoped to open in early 2026. The state-of-the-art building will offer an additional 1,500 sqm of workspace, including 11 potential lab suites.
SAMS is due to get £600,000 for additional teaching space at its Sheina Marshall Building in the park, as the research institute continues to expand.
SAMS will carry out a "modest and careful" conversion of the second-floor attic which will see a new 56 seat lecture theatre built in the space which can be divided into three smaller teaching spaces as and when required.
A break-out recreational space will also be built in the attic, as well as two new toilets and storage rooms. Currently the attic is used only for storage.
Professor Axel Miller, SAMS Deputy Director, said: "This project will allow SAMS to meet the needs of our growing student numbers, improve the learning experience for those already studying and attract more young people to study in the area in the future.
"The diversity of this growing student population will not only continue to contribute to the strong sense of place of Oban as a thriving University Town but will also support the growth and longevity of the European Marine Science Park and local industries, through skills generation and creation of strong talent pipelines.
"Boosting teaching capacity at SAMS now will dovetail perfectly with the 31 student bed student residence planned for the Dunbeg phase four development, ensuring continued student success for decades to come."
The Leader of Argyll and Bute Council, Jim Lynch, said: “This investment will provide a further welcome boost to the Argyll and Bute economy.
The projects selected will not only improve the area’s infrastructure, but they will also help to create employment opportunities and strengthen community outcomes. This is an exciting time for Argyll and Bute, and I very much look forward to seeing these projects progress.”
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