Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey MP Graham Leadbitter is calling to change criteria for a new UK funding scheme for towns – which currently sees Lossiemouth, Nairn and Forres automatically excluded from selection.
A Highland and Moray MP is urging the UK government to review the criteria to apply for a new funding programme — which would make Lossiemouth, Forres and Nairn unable to access the selection process.
The Pride in Place funding announced by the Labour Government in September is a scheme seeking to provide funding to communities across the UK, which will see up to £5 billion given to nearly 250 areas across the country.
Each area selected will receive up to £20 million of funding and support over the next 10 years to make long-term improvements that residents want.
However, to apply for the second phase of the programme — which will distribute funds an additional 169 neighbourhoods across Great Britain, 14 of which are in Scotland — state that applicant towns must not be located in a UK parliamentary constituency with a Phase 1 neighbourhood — hence excluding the three towns in the Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey constituency, despite the fact that they all meet the population requirement to access the scheme.
MP for the area, Graham Leadbitter, said this would deprive communities in rural areas of access to the selection process.
He wrote a letter to the Secretary of State for Scotland in a bid to allow the towns to apply, saying the Labour government’s funding model “ignored the unique geography of rural constituencies and areas with dispersed populations”.
“This scheme already does far too little to address the decades of underfunding and decline in investment our towns have had to endure under Westminster rule,” he said.
“So for three towns in this area to be totally excluded from funding just because of the classification of Elgin is a further kick in the teeth.
“I’ve represented Elgin for nearly two decades and will always be happy to see it receive funding and recognition, but that shouldn’t come at the cost of three other local towns with large populations, unique challenges, and local needs.
“Forres in particular is nearly 15 miles from Elgin, and Nairn is in an entirely different local authority. It’s clear the criteria was decided upon hastily with no recognition of the unique geography of constituencies like mine, with a dispersed population and lots of rural communities.
“The Secretary of State should urgently reassess this criteria and reopen the applications so I can make the strongest possible case for these towns to receive critical cash they’ve been denied by Westminster for far too long.”