Funding programme agreed for city projects

10 November 2021

More than £500,000 is to be invested in community and cultural assets after councillors today agreed allocations from the Place Based Investment Programme (PBIP) Fund.

PBIP is a five-year Programme and has invested £275 million of capital funding to support community led regeneration, town centre revitalisation and community wealth building. Under this, Councils receive an annual share of funds, with Aberdeen City Council receiving an allocation of £975,000 for 2021/22.

Up to £430,000 was allocated for the Union Terrace Gardens Play Park Project in August.

Out of the remaining £545,000, the report recommends that these funds are awarded to projects including:

£44,014 to the Belmont Filmhouse for the Accessibility Programme of Works project;£32,750 to Aberdeen Arts Centre for the Children’s Theatre project;£164,680 to Aberdeen Performing Arts for the Repair, Rebuild, Revitalise project;£40,000 to Aberdeen Inspired for the City Centre Parklets Phase 2 project.

The programme was launched following the closure of the Scottish Government Town Centre Fund and is targeted at the Place Principle. This ensures that future local investment is relevant to local communities and for the benefit of local people.

This is part of a multi-annual capital fund with the Scottish Government to distribute £38 million this financial year to local government to administer locally.

Officers had placed information on the Aberdeen City Council website regarding the remaining funds and launched an open call for applications in September, where most of the project ideas came from.

Committee convener Councillor Ryan Houghton, convener for City Growth and Resources, said: “It’s wonderful to be able to support our local communities and help revitalise the city centre.

“There is significant funding already going into the redevelopment of Union Terrace Gardens, which will be a massive improvement to the city centre and attract visitors and tourists to Aberdeen.

“Seeing part of this fund be awarded to projects such as Aberdeen Arts Centre and Aberdeen Inspired will bring huge benefits to the people of Aberdeen. We hope that with this allocation of funds we can continue to invest in our communities.”

Further funds will be allocated for 2022/23 by the Scottish Government in due course. Any funds that remain uncommitted at the end of March 2022 will be returned to the Scottish Government.

The City Growth and Resources Committee also agreed to commit to an award of up to £400,000 from the anticipated 2022/23 Place Based Investment Fund to the Inchgarth Community Centre Extension project, subject to a successful outcome from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund 2022/23 with an offer of grant of at least £1.5 million.