Two hard-hit towns in West Lothian can keep the £26,000 they could find no takers for during a recent cash award.
West Lothian Council’s Executive agreed that decisions on spending the Scottish Government money will revert to the Local Area Committees in Blackburn and Armadale. Both committees heard that despite repeated contacts by regeneration officers with the community groups there had been no takers for £10,000 in Town Centre Improvements funding in Blackburn, and for £16,000 in Armadale.
Councillors in both wards feared losing the money, which is awarded annually to all settlements in Scotland with a population of more than 1,000.
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Councillors heard that some groups had been put off applying for funds because of tight timescales for the projects. In all cases, the projects have to be at the point of contract awarded by a deadline at the end of March. In both Blackburn and Armadale there were suggestions that some of the successful bids could see their projects enhanced with extra cash. In Armadale it was agreed to give just over £1,000 extra to plans for a sensory garden at the Hub community centre.
In both wards it was agreed that projects to upgrade the town centres could be identified by local groups or through contact with local ward members.
Councillor Andrew McGuire for Armadale won clarification that bids from community groups could be made to the local area committees when the next round of committee meetings take place beginning in the early Autumn.
Depute Labour group leader Kirsteen Sullivan, who represents Blackburn, said: “I just want to say that I am delighted to see that this money will be returned to the ward for projects to come forward. It’s very welcome.”
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