Place Based Investment Programme: FOI release

Information requested

You asked for information concerning the Place Based Investment Programme, specifically:

• Has Fife Council been awarded funds for the "gap site/city square, High Street, Dunfermline?
• If so, does the grant/fund carry specific conditions? I.E. what it can be used for.
• When did Fife Council receive the funding?
• Do the funds have to be spent by a specific date?
• Can the funds be allocated to a different project?

Response

In 2023/24 Fife Council chose to allocate £800,000 of their £1,915,000 of their Place Based Investment Programme (PBIP) funding award to the Dunfermline Gap Site (City Square) project. This is capital funding and the council have reported that the project had been delayed by issues relating to ground contamination, site topography and ongoing maintenance.

Each local authority in Scotland receives an allocation of the PBIP funding and it is for local authorities to allocate, working collaboratively with local communities, along with business and the third and public sectors, to support shared local plans and aspirations.

COSLA and Council Leaders have agreed that it is expected that local authorities make investment decisions that accelerate ambitions for place, 20-minute neighbourhoods, town centre action, community led regeneration and community wealth building. The funding is also expected to contribute to net zero, wellbeing and inclusive economic development, tackling inequality and disadvantage including child poverty, and community involvement and ownership, including the repurposing of buildings, maintenance, and repairs, reallocating external space and community led land acquisition.

In practice this means that Fife Council must consider how place-based investments align with other planned investments in the locality in order to streamline delivery and increase impact. They must also ensure that the investment is relevant to the needs of the locality, fits with other local actions and provides a basis for collaboration with partners.

Funding is issued annually and there is an expectation that it should be spent or contractually committed by the end of the relevant financial year.

Fife Council can decide to reallocate funding to another project if they choose to do so.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.