Towns across Scotland will share a £292 million UK government fund to improve rundown high streets and neighbourhoods and support local businesses.
The Pride in Place programme will see 14 places each receive £20m over 10 years. A further eight will each get £1.5 m over two years through the Pride in Place Impact Fund.
Scottish Chambers of Commerce said that with one-fifth of Scots living in deprived areas – a figure unchanged since 2011 – “it is vital that something is done to reverse the decline”.
Doug Smith, vice president, said: “Both the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State [for Scotland] have emphasised the importance of communities being engaged in decisions about how this welcome new funding is directed.
“The Scottish Chambers Network includes many hundreds of businesses members already operating across these cities and towns.
“So there is a real opportunity to engage with local business communities to ensure that their knowledge and experience is used to ensure benefits of this funding are maximised and opportunities for parallel private sector investment identified.
“We await the full details of this strategy for renewal to see if the Government’s policy can live up to its ambitions.
The announcement specifically references Community Right to Buy and Compulsory Purchase.
Community Right to buy exists in Scotland under legislation dating from 2003and 2016. Under this, eligible Community Bodies can acquire buildings for the benefit of their community.
Compulsory Purchase is regulated by Scottish legislation. There is a current live Scottish Government Consultation on Compulsory Purchase Reform with responses to be submitted by the end of the year.
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