Dunfermline and Dollar MP Graeme Downie has welcomed today’s UK Government announcement that West Fife Villages (Oakley Comrie and Blairhall, Valleyfield Culross and Torryburn, Kincardine, Saline and Gowkhall) have been awarded up to £20 million in UK Government funding after being named among Scotland’s most in need places.
The funding, intended for projects which restore pride and open doors to new opportunities, has been awarded under the UK Government’s “Pride in Place” programme.
After the programme was announced in September, Scotland Office and local partners worked at pace to identify 14 neighbourhoods the length and breadth of Scotland where the £280 million funding will have the biggest impact. This included Mr Downie conducting an extensive consultation process with local residents to hear their concerns and their hopes for the area where they live.
Neighbourhood Boards comprising representatives from the local areas will now be established to decide exactly what projects the funding will be spent on to build stronger, thriving communities in which people can proudly live, work and play.
The local authorities selected have both the highest deprivation levels and weakest social infrastructure. The Scotland Office invited evidence submissions from these local authorities, eligible MPs and constituency MSPs, the Scottish Government and wider community organisations as to which neighbourhoods should be chosen.
Commenting on the award, Dunfermline and Dollar MP Graeme Downie said:
“I am absolutely delighted that the West Fife Villages have been awarded this £20 million funding from the UK Government’s Pride in Place programme, and I welcome the opportunities that this will bring to build community connections in the area.”
“Local constituents have been very clear with me about their hopes and aspirations in the West Fife Villages; an area that has been left for far too long without the attention and investment that local residents need and deserve. “
“I am looking forward to the next stage: bringing together a neighbourhood board so that decisions can be made locally about how best to spend this money. I know from my conversations with people in the area that there is no shortage of ideas to progress”
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said:
“The UK Government is backing 14 of Scotland’s most in need communities with £280 million investment – part of a £2 billion package to uphold pride in communities and create opportunities the length and breadth of the nation.
“Over decades of decline, people have watched as their neighbourhoods have lost services and support, so now we are putting the power into the hands of local people who can decide how the money is spent. We’re investing directly in Scottish communities to build stronger, thriving neighbourhoods.”
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Steve Reed said:
“People across Scotland have been shut out from their own futures and felt powerless to make the changes they want to see in their communities. Pride in Place is fixing that and putting power back where it belongs – in the hands of the people who have the knowledge, ambition and vision to make a real difference. We’re backing 14 neighbourhoods across Scotland with up to £20m each, to put local people back in the driving seat to revitalise their communities and shape their futures.”
Neighbourhood Boards, comprising representatives from the local community, will decide exactly what the investment will be spent on. These will now be established, with funding starting from April 2026.
Projects could include revitalising high streets and town centres, preserving local heritage, providing housing, creating jobs, boosting productivity and skills, improving health and well-being, creating new transport links, providing education and opportunity and improving safety and security.
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