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| £315m city region deal 'not benefiting' Lochaber | £315m city region deal 'not benefiting' Lochaber |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Areas of the Highlands such as Lochaber, Caithness and Sutherland will not benefit from a £315m funding package, a councillor has said. | Areas of the Highlands such as Lochaber, Caithness and Sutherland will not benefit from a £315m funding package, a councillor has said. |
| The Inverness City Region deal, announced in March by Highland Council and the Scottish and UK governments, involves direct funding and borrowing. | The Inverness City Region deal, announced in March by Highland Council and the Scottish and UK governments, involves direct funding and borrowing. |
| But Lochaber councillor Andrew Baxter said Inverness and its surrounding areas would see most of the investment. | But Lochaber councillor Andrew Baxter said Inverness and its surrounding areas would see most of the investment. |
| Highland Council said the deal would invest in projects in the wider region. | Highland Council said the deal would invest in projects in the wider region. |
| Earlier this month, the local authority said business cases for projects worth about £48m had been submitted for Inverness City Region Deal funding. | Earlier this month, the local authority said business cases for projects worth about £48m had been submitted for Inverness City Region Deal funding. |
| About £15m has been sought for a plan to turn Inverness Castle from a criminal and civil courts building into a tourist attraction. | About £15m has been sought for a plan to turn Inverness Castle from a criminal and civil courts building into a tourist attraction. |
| Cases have also been made for an £11m Northern Innovation Hub and £10m to make vacant land at Inverness' Longman available to businesses. | Cases have also been made for an £11m Northern Innovation Hub and £10m to make vacant land at Inverness' Longman available to businesses. |
| The Scottish and UK governments will consider Highland Council's bids. | The Scottish and UK governments will consider Highland Council's bids. |
| 'Engine house' | 'Engine house' |
| Mr Baxter told BBC Radio Scotland: "We are continually being told that it is a city region deal for the whole of the Highlands, but everything that I am seeing, that is being reported or coming out from the council officers suggests otherwise. | |
| "It is quite clearly a city deal that will predominantly benefit Inverness and the immediate area and we will see little benefit beyond that. | "It is quite clearly a city deal that will predominantly benefit Inverness and the immediate area and we will see little benefit beyond that. |
| "This was a deal that was done behind closed doors by council officials and civil servants in London and Edinburgh with virtually no input from local councillors." | "This was a deal that was done behind closed doors by council officials and civil servants in London and Edinburgh with virtually no input from local councillors." |
| Highland Council said the deal would support healthcare, affordable housing, transport and employment projects with pan-Highland benefits. | |
| A council spokeswoman said: "The city region deal is worth £315m of investment which is anticipated to attract a further £1bn of private investment to the region. | |
| "Cities are the engine house of their regions and the investment in infrastructure in the Inverness area will benefit the whole Highland region. | "Cities are the engine house of their regions and the investment in infrastructure in the Inverness area will benefit the whole Highland region. |
| "Several projects investing in education, research and young people, as well as assisted living, will bring also benefit to a number of areas across the Highlands. The affordable housing, digital and innovative hub projects are all Highland-wide projects." | "Several projects investing in education, research and young people, as well as assisted living, will bring also benefit to a number of areas across the Highlands. The affordable housing, digital and innovative hub projects are all Highland-wide projects." |