Kirkwall to receive £20m Levelling Up windfall

Kirkwall is to receive a £20million windfall from the UK Government “to support the issues” that residents of Orkney “care most about”.

The cash comes from the Long-Term Plan for Towns fund — part of the government’s Levelling Up initiative. The allocation was announced this Wednesday as part of the Westminster Spring Budget.

It remains to be seen how the money will be spent, but the UK Government’s Levelling Up Minister, Michael Gove, is looking forward to seeing what emerges.

“It is fantastic that the UK Government has been able to extend our Long Term Plan for Towns to a further three Scottish towns,” Mr Gove said.

“This means that we are now investing a total of £200 million in ten Scottish towns over the next decade.

“Orkney is breaking new ground as the first Scottish island council to receive funding through the Long-Term Plan for Towns. This is a £20 million investment by the UK Government to support the issues that the people in Kirkwall and the surrounding area care most about.

“I know from my meetings with the Council through the Islands Forum that there are no shortage of ideas from Orkney on how to spend Levelling Up money. Island communities face particular challenges and I look forward to working with Orkney Islands Council, and its elected representatives, as we take this project forward.”

Orkney Islands Council’s leader, Councillor Heather Woodbridge, added: “This is hugely welcome news for Orkney. The Levelling Up fund has already made a tremendous difference to communities across Scotland and  it is great that Orkney will now be getting its share of that.

“The allocation comes on the back of several years of work by elected members — past and present — and officials to fight Orkney’s corner, making the case repeatedly for funding for our islands.

“We are awaiting further discussions with the UK Government on the finer details of the fund, but our clear aspirations are that the benefits of the fund are spread as far across Orkney as the funding conditions will allow, and that the decisions about how the fund will be spent are made with significant input from our communities, ensuring that community voice is at the heart of these discussions.”