£90k Worth Of Community Regeneration Funding Awarded By Caithness Councillors to Wick Campsite Toilets
24th August 2023
Members of the Caithness Area Committee, who met on Monday, 21 August 2023, considered and agreed funding for an application submitted to the area's Community Regeneration Fund.
The Wick Development Trust successfully secured £90,000 towards Phase 2 of their overall development plan, with this phase focusing on the development of a Toilet Block & Facilities building at Wick River Campsite.
Community Regeneration Funding is an umbrella term for a number of funds that are available for communities and organisations to access in Highland. It comprises 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, and also the UK Government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Councillor Ron Gunn, Chair of the Caithness Area Committee, congratulated the successful applicant and commented: "My Ward colleagues and I are delighted to be able support the work of the Wick Development Trust with this funding. In recent years, the Trust was successful in its bid to take over the running of the Wick River Campsite as a not-for-profit enterprise, with a three-phase plan to bring the site up to a modern and fit-for-purpose standard as a visitor facility.
Cllr Gunn continued: "With the funding agreed by Wards members, work on Phase 2 of the plan - which is for the development of a Toilet Block & Facilities building – will be due to start in November once other match funding is in place. The project will deliver a new toilet & facilities building which will include showers, accessible toilet/shower room, family shower room, laundry and wash-up area, all with energy efficiency and net zero ambitions at the forefront of design."
The Wick Development Trust (WDT) was set up in 2019 with the long-term goal to support and enable the regeneration of the Town of Wick. The Board of Trustees are a group of local people who volunteer their expertise to WDT to stimulate economic recovery and growth in the town.
This phase of the project is scheduled to take around seven months to complete, concluding in April 2024.
The total project cost is £450,837.64.
Other funds requested from -
HIE - Green Fund
Dounreay Socio-Economic Fund
Community & Renewable Energy Scheme
Highland Council Community Loan Fund
Plus own funds already held
For full details read the paper HERE
Other topics discussed at the meeting
5. Scottish Fire & Rescue Service - Area Performance Report Report,
6. Winter Service Plan 2023/24 Report,
7. Thurso Common Good Fund - Asset Register Report, 2
8. Wick Common Good Monitoring Report Report,
The full meeting can be viewed HERE
Note
The public toilets at Wick Riverside car park are a separate council project and are now at a very advanced stage having been completely renewed including a new roof.
Related Businesses
Related Articles
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
On 27 November 2024 the Community and Places committee will consider a report on play parks in Highland. 94 play parks across Highland including 26 in Caithness are scheduled to close over 5 years.
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
On Thursday the 21 November 2024, the Education Committee will be presented with an Education Trust Fund report that asks Members to approve the formation of an Education Trust Fund Sub Committee. There are significant funds held by The Highland Council in trust for the educational benefit within different communities.
At the Economy and Infrastructure Committee on Thursday 14 November 2024 councillors adopted an ambitious action plan to tackle biodiversity loss and support a nature-positive Highland. The Council's Ecology Strategy and Action Plan Strategy sets out and defines a series of key actions and activities that will assist the Council to deliver positive action to tackle biodiversity loss and start to address the ecological emergency for the benefit of its environment, economy, and communities.
The Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee have approved the rural Housing Supplementary Guidance which will now be used to inform all planning advice and decisions. Chair of the Committee, Councillor Ken Gowans said: "Following the decision by members today, I am pleased that we now have a positive, clear and consistent basis for considering and determining rural housing planning applications across the whole of the Highland Council area.
New guidance to support schools and organisations working with children and young people to develop comprehensive anti-bullying policies and improve behaviour and relationships has been published. ‘Respect for all' includes updates for staff on how to deal with specific incidents of bullying, including online bullying.
The Vice Chair of the Caithness Committee, Councillor Struan Mackie has expressed his delight at the number of worthwhile local projects that have benefitted from Ward Discretionary Funding in this financial year. All Council Wards receive a discretionary budget, and it is for Ward Councillors to consider what they wish to commit funds to, in line with Highland Council objectives and outcomes.
The Caithness Committee have agreed to adopt the modified Core Path Plans for Caithness. At their meeting yesterday members had the opportunity to discuss a report that summarised the review of The Highland Council Core Paths Plan in Caithness.
On Thursday 14 November 2024, Members of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee will be presented with a new Sustainable Tourism Strategy 2024-2030 and asked to note and agree recommendations which include adopting the new Sustainable Tourism Strategy. Also an agreement to amend the strategy to accommodate consultation feedback on the Visitor Levy Scheme.
