We will build the principles of community wealth building into the way we support the local community.
According to Scotland’s Centre for Regional Inclusive Growth, community wealth building is a “people-centred approach to local economic development, which redirects wealth back into the local economy, and places control and benefits into the hands of local people.”
The essence, or principles, of community wealth building have been built into how the council does its business in recent years, from how much we spend locally to community asset transfers and supporting economic participation in communities.
Islands Infrastructure Fund 2023-24
In January 2023 the Scottish Government announced the opening of a £4m fund to support locally developed infrastructure projects on Scotland’s islands. As part of the £30m Islands Programme, the fund is open to the six Scottish local authorities either comprised of or containing island communities – Argyll and Bute, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Highland, North Ayrshire, Orkney and Shetland – to submit bids for local capital projects. The overall objective of the funding is to support improvement in the quality of life for island communities, including addressing population decline, climate change, transport, housing, delivery of public services and digital connectivity.
At time of writing, council officers are working with local agencies and community groups to identify projects for which bids could be submitted, with delivery of the National Islands Plan objectives and deliverability in 2023-24 being key factors.
In 2022-23, the council was successful with bids for two projects under the Islands Programme, supporting the Auld Skule Enterprise Project in Nesting and the Kirk Redevelopment in Papa Stour.