ESSENTIAL funding for vital projects in the Western Isles is being
siphoned off to less disadvantaged areas, constituency MP, Mr Calum
Macdonald, claimed yesterday.
Mr Macdonald expressed his dismay at the results of the first round of
Objective 1 finance allocation and that projects for the Western Isles
had been rejected or deferred.
Last week, it was revealed that the 65% grant for the #6.5m bridge to
Scalpay in Harris had been deferred until the project had planning
permission. It will likely be approved at the next round.
However, applications for funding for the #8.5m Berneray causeway in
North Uist, and the #3.5m ferry service and terminals for the Sound of
Harris, had been deferred.
Mr Macdonald said: ''I am dismayed at the results of the first round.
Projects from the Western Isles, the most underdeveloped of all the
regions, have been rejected, and the money is being siphoned off to
areas that, frankly, cannot be justified.''
He said nothing could be more important than building links to remote
island communities yet the Scalpay, Berneray, and Eriskay projects had
been put on hold. Meanwhile, #320,000 had been given to build a new
central tower for Inverness Airport, a project Mr Macdonald claimed
''was a complete misuse of funds''.
He added: ''Inverness Airport may deserve Government or European help
for improvement but this should come from other sources, not Objective 1
funding. Likewise, the allocation of #368,000 for the Business Support
Scheme in Shetland.
''Objective 1 status was granted only because of the deep, long-term,
under-development of the Western Highlands and Islands. The West has
suffered from high unemployment, outward migration, poor communications,
and sparse population. These are the problems that Objective 1 should be
tackling.
''Whatever other problems they face, neither Shetland nor Inverness
can be described as the poorest parts of Europe.''
He said that those in charge of the funding had to take on board the
fact that there was only a limited amount of money available and that
the Highlands and Islands got Objective 1 status only because of the
particular problems and disadvantages of the west coast.
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