Eleven applications for community projects in the Skye and Raasay Area have been awarded funding totalling £393,921.37 from the Community Regeneration Fund.
The successful applicants were:
Community Regeneration Funding is an umbrella term for several funds that are available for communities/organisations to access in Highland.
It comprises elements of the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund along with the Highland Coastal Communities Fund and the Place Based Investment Programme, both of which are Scottish Government Funding streams to support economic regeneration and sustainable development in Highland.
Skye and Raasay Area Committee chairperson, Councillor John Finlayson said: “Community Regeneration Funding directs funding to the heart of our communities and to projects that are key priorities across the area that meet the focus of the funding criteria which is aimed at enabling economic recovery, regeneration, and community resilience.
“Many of the projects awarded funding today are volunteer led and I’d like to thank them all for their tenacity and drive to make positive changes within their communities.
“On behalf of our committee members, I wish all the projects the best of luck and look forward to receiving progress updates about each project, at future meetings.”
Councillors also agreed to ringfence any remaining balance within the 2023/24 Community Regeneration Funding allocation to deliver area priorities identified through work to develop an area-based plan.
These full applications will be brought to a future committee meeting for consideration.
Members of the committee agreed a list of prioritised programme of works for structural overlay/inlay works and surface dressing schemes which will be funded out of the Capital Budget allocation for 2024/25.
The actual 2024/25 capital roads budget allocation for Skye and Raasay is still to be finalised but based on previous financial years and analysis of road condition survey results it is expected to be £516,353 in total.
Skye and Raasay Area Committee chairperson, Councillor John Finlayson said: “It is important that as a committee, we take every opportunity to communicate the real scale of the financial challenges before us.
“We know the roads budget falls short of the funding needed to do everything we want with the added challenges being faced with regard to the hundreds of thousands of tourists who visit Skye annually, but by agreeing the capital roads’ priorities for 2024/25 it helps raise awareness of what requires to be prioritised based on the road condition survey results and with the funding available.
“It also allows forward planning for the roads team who work tirelessly and resourcefully to do the best they can with the resources available.”
Works for the Skye and Raasay area are identified based on a prioritised ranking. The ranking is informed by:
The list of prioritised projects approved along with the report presented to the committee is available from the Council’s website www.highland.gov.uk/meetings/meeting/4932/isle_of_skye_and_raasay_committee- (Item 6)
Should the approved 2024/25 budget differ from previous budgets then the programme will be adjusted appropriately.
The increased number of abandoned vehicles across the area and the signposting methods that the public should be aware of when reporting abandoned vehicles was discussed.
Skye and Raasay Area Committee chairperson, Councillor John Finlayson said: “We’ve seen an almost 50 per cent rise in abandoned vehicles across Skye and Raasay which can present a real issue for our local community and residents.
“However, the discussion at today’s meeting was very helpful to gain a greater understanding into the individual considerations which are taken account of, prior to their removal, and what procedures need to take place before anything can happen.”
In the Highlands, the environmental health team deal with around 500 reports of abandoned vehicles per year.
For the Skye and Raasay area, there are relatively low reports of around 10-15 per year although an increase was noted in 2023 with more than 30 reports submitted.
Environmental Health officers prioritise resources based on a many factors including public health, public safety, environmental risk and statutory responsibilities. Incoming service requests are assessed against these factors and officers’ availability for investigations.
All reports of abandoned vehicles are followed up by the team, but priority is given to vehicles with a clear safety risk, for example, burnt out or vandalised.
Information on reporting an abandoned vehicle can be found at www.highland.gov.uk/info/1330/street_care_and_cleaning/114/abandoned_vehicles.
Garage rents will increase by 7.95 per cent for 2024/25.
Garage rent for council tenants will increase from £7.03 to £7.59 per week. Meanwhile, garage rent for non-tenants will go up from £8.68 to £9.37 per week.
As a result, total income will increase from £1,845.60 to £1,992.33.
The committee also agreed an amendment for the future rent increase for these garages to be set to align with the rate of increase applied to council house rents. The area committee will reserve the right to change this arrangement at the request of its area chairperson.
The rent increase will commence from April 2024 and garage tenants will be notified by letter.
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