Public funding and compliance information for Aviemore Biomass/District Heat Network: EIR release

Information requested

“Under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004, I request the following information.

1.Details of any capital grants, loans, or other public funding provided by the Scottish Government, or agencies acting on its behalf, for the design, installation, commissioning, or upgrade of the biomass or district heat network serving Albyn Housing properties in Aviemore.
2. For each funding award identified, please provide:
a) the funding programme name,
b) year of award,
c) amount awarded,
d) recipient organisation, and
e) any conditions relating to performance, efficiency, commissioning, or consumer outcomes.
3. Copies of any monitoring reports, assurance documentation, or correspondence held by the Scottish Government relating to the operational performance or compliance of the heat network.”

Response

Part 1

I have performed a search of our records and can confirm the Albyn Housing project in Aviemore received two separate funding awards from the Scottish Government’s ‘Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative (SCHRI)’. Details of which can be found below.

​​​​​​​Part 2

a) Funding programme	c) Amount awarded	d) Recipient organisation	Project
SCHRI (Feasibility)	£10,000	Albyn Housing Society	Aviemore North – District Wood-Fuelled Heating Scheme (Feasibility)
SCHRI (Capital)	£50,000	Albyn Housing Society	Biomass North Aviemore Project (Capital)

​​​​​​​b) and e) I can confirm that the Scottish Government does not hold any information within the scope of your request. Therefore, we are refusing your request under the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs. Under the terms of the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs (information not held), the Scottish Government is not required to provide information which it does not have.

​​​​​​​This exception 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 exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about Scottish Government funding, clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Part 3

​​​​​​​I can confirm that the Scottish Government does not hold any information within the scope of your request. Therefore, we are refusing your request under the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs. Under the terms of the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs (information not held), the Scottish Government is not required to provide information which it does not have.

​​​​​​​This exception 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 exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about Scottish Government funding, clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold.​​​​​​​

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.