Funding for Ardgay Regeneration (Gateway to Sutherland) project: EIR release

FOI reference: FOI/17/02914
Date received: 24 November 2017
Date responded: 22 December 2017

Information requested

Information about the funding provided to the Kyle of Sutherland Development Trust in relation to the Ardgay Regeneration (Gateway to Sutherland) project, including in particular:

• Details of the scope of the project
• Details of the specific purposes for which the development is intended to be used
• Details of intended use and tenants of the office space for rent.

Response

As the information you have requested is 'environmental information' for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

Highland Council received a grant of £530,000 in 2016/17 from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund to deliver the "Ardgay – Gateway to Sutherland" project. Please find enclosed a copy of the approved application form, which provides detailed description of the project, including:

• Details of the scope of the project
• Details of the specific purposes for which the development is intended to be used
• Details of intended use and tenants of the office space for rent.

According to a recent update from the project, the space in the restored Shed will also be used as a business space.

We have redacted some information in respect of names of individuals and potentially commercially sensitive information. This should have no impact on the infrmaiton you have requested. I trust this information is satisfactory, however, if you have any further queries I would advise you to contact Highland Council, the Lead Applicant who may be able to help.

The contact person at the council is:

Alan Webster
Regeneration and Employment Team Leader
Development & Infrastructure Service
Glenurquhart Road
Inverness
IV3 5NX
Alan.Webster@highland.gov.uk Telephone (01463) 702263

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