£104,000 funding for deprived areas set to be approved

COUNCILLORS are set to approve a new round of deprived area funding worth £104,000 for Wick and East Caithness.

Members of the Planning, Environment and Development Commitee will grant the six figure sum and will transfer responsibility for its administration from Inverness to the new Caithness and Sutherland Area committee.

Landward councillor Alex MacLeod who will be in favour of approving the funding has encouraged local groups to apply to the fund, to target the most deprived areas in Caithness.

"The Council is inviting community and third-sector organisations to apply to the deprived area fund to help those communities most in need.

"Applications must be for projects aimed at targeting our most disadvantaged areas, and must contribute to the regeneration of East Caithness."

"It is also right that this fund is administered by the new Local Area Committee - this will give local members much more input into the distribution of funds, making the process more democratic. This is exactly how we envisaged the local area committees making a real difference in the community."