Orkney council backs bids for WW2 airfield and Stromness creative arts hub to get funding
Councillors in Orkney have given their backing for funding to be given to the regeneration of World War 2 airfield and the establishment of a creative hub in Stromness.
Members of the council’s community development fund sub-committee met to view two applications.
The Birsay Heritage Trust is trying to secure £760,000 which would go towards the regeneration of the RNAS Tern airfield at Twatt, in Orkney’s West Mainland.
The improvements would see the airfield made more able to accommodate visitors and utilise renewable energy sources.
Meanwhile, the Pier Arts Centre, in Stromness is asking for quite a lot more for – £1,608,000.
This would help them set up a creative hub in the town’s empty former post office building, in Victoria Street.
This would be used by locals and visitors alike.
Third time the charm?
It would offer a space to learn, hold creative activities and as short-term accommodation.
These organisations are making a bid to get money through the Regeneration Capital Grand Fund (RCGF) which the Scottish Government distributes by working with councils in a two-stage process.
The application stage viewed by councillors today is just the first of those two stages.
A report to the sub-committee recommended that the Creative Hub should be prioritised for funding, but said both projects are worthwhile.
Ultimately councillors said both applications should to the next stage which is expected to have its deadline in November.
In both cases, the total costs of the project are much more that is being asked for through the RCGF.
So, securing this funding would only be part of the jigsaw.
This is the third time the Birsay Heritage Trust and the Pier Arts Centre have tried to get money for these projects.
They have both applied to the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund in the previous two years.
Only the Creative Hub project made it to the second stage before but ultimately didn’t get the funding in the end.
Altering their applications, they will be hoping to secure some of the £25m to be distributed through the fund.
‘Orkney has missed out’
Councillors were broadly supportive of both projects getting funding.
Councillor Leslie Manson said they were “two really good projects” that everyone in the room would love to see progress.
However, Orkney’s council leader James Stockan noted that Orkney hasn’t had much luck getting funding through this fund.
He said: “We have not had support from the RCGF for many years in Orkney.
“There has been a very good distribution to the Western Isles and other places in Scotland. We have been one of the poorest places in capturing this funding .”
However, Orkney has benefitted from the RCGF more recently than the council leader remembered.
Two Orkney projects have so far been successful in getting funds through it.
The Orkney Research and Innovation Campus got £500,000 back during the 2017/18 phase.
More recently, “The Pund” community resource project in North Ronaldsay also got £985,460 through the RCGF.
Conversation