A SPECIAL Rural Growth Deal, (RGD), was signed last week in Rothesay, signalling the beginning of a decade long investment in projects across Argyll and Bute, but there’s a growing feeling in Dunoon that the town has been overlooked.
On Monday, March 10, Scottish Secretary of State Ian Murray, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes and Argyll and Bute Council leader Jim Lynch converged on Bute, home of Rothesay Pavilion, the first project expected to be delivered with support from the RGD, to officially rubber stamp the funding.
The RGD is a pot of £70M, an investment programme where both the Scottish and UK Governments have contributed £25M and Argyll and Bute Council and its partners have provided at least £20M of match funding.
Its hoped that the RGD will deliver 300 jobs, training opportunities for more than 6,000 people, support for business growth, new housing and worker accommodation, and more than 70,000 additional visitors to the region every year.
As members of Scotland’s press gathered on the Isle of Bute to record the official signing of the deal, leader of Argyll and Bute Council, Jim Lynch said: “This is significant and very welcome investment in the economy and longer term future of Argyll and Bute. Our area boasts a number of key industries that support not only our local economy, but that of Scotland and the UK more widely.
“Scotland and the UK need rural and island areas like Argyll and Bute to succeed, and this growth deal is key to achieving that success. Partnership has been key in reaching this stage and will continue to be so. I look forward to working with our national and local partners in transforming this investment into economic benefit for Argyll and Bute.”
But there’s been criticism this week and disappointment over the RGD as Dunoon may not be levelling up with the rest of the region. In a list of projects set to benefit from the deal, including £9M for Rothesay Pavilion, £2M for a new seaports hub in Campbeltown and £4M for a UAV hub at Oban airport, Dunoon is briefly referenced as a location where one of two STEM hubs will be located.
Its understood that this hub, a dedicated space which focuses on enhancing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics skills for young people, will be based in Dunoon Grammar School.
At this week’s Dunoon Community Council meeting at the Queen’s Hall this newspaper asked the two Argyll and Bute, Dunoon ward councillors present, joint depute leader Ross Moreland, (LibDem) and Daniel Hampsey, (Conservative), if they were satisfied with Dunoon’s deal. Councillor Moreland said: “No, it was signed today, (Monday), but negotiated long before Daniel and I were elected. I’m not happy that the RGD doesn’t have anything directly for Dunoon. I would have liked to have seen a project here benefit but I think a few years from now we’ll see a different fund.
“I would have obviously liked to have seen some of that money come here but since Daniel and I have walked in through the door its mostly been about getting the deal over the line. It is good news, driving that money into the region but we would’ve liked to have seen a direct (Dunoon) project benefit.”
“Councillor Hampsey added: “With respect to the people who came before us there should be more focus on parity and I would hope that would be the case moving forward, but like Ross has said this was something that happened before our time.”
