The Scottish Government has awarded Dumfries and Galloway Council £1.34 million funding towards the Annan Harbour Regeneration Project from the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme.
The project, led by Annan Harbour Action Group (AHAG), will deliver a new heritage visitor centre, community hub, cafe, water sports lagoon and environmental improvements. Through fully renovating the Collett’s Building, a derelict former warehouse, redressing environmental contamination on the Minister’s Merse and creating new visitor attractions, the Annan Harbour Regeneration Project will grow the tourism offer in Annan and offer employment and skills development opportunities for local people.
The Annan Harbour project was one of three included within the Three Rivers Active Tourism Project, a joint constituency bid submitted to the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund by Dumfries and Galloway Council in partnership with South Lanarkshire Council and Scottish Borders Council. The Three Rivers Active Tourism bid was awarded £22.8 million as part of Round 3 of the Levelling Up Fund with £11.8 million of this allocated for the Annan Harbour project.
Ian Blake, Chair of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee said:
“We are delighted with the news that the Annan Harbour Project has been awarded £1.34 million from the Scottish Government’s Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme. This additional investment towards the Annan project within the Three Rivers Active Tourism Project demonstrates the power of community-led regeneration as a driver for local economic growth.”Vice chair of the committee, Jackie McCamon, added:
“This is fantastic news. Our council actively promotes community-led regeneration, and the Annan Harbour Project is a great example of celebrating local culture and natural heritage to create opportunities for local people and visitors alike.”Chair of Annan Harbour Action Group, Richard Brodie said:
“This award is a massive boost to the Annan Harbour Project. It means that we don’t have to scale back on our ambitious plans and that we can deliver this signification regeneration of Annan on or ahead of schedule.”
Alan Thomson, AHAG Development Manager said:
“We are immensely grateful to Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Economic Development Team and the Scottish Government for this award. While confident that our project will indeed bring vacant and derelict land into productive use for the community, we did not underestimate the task of securing such a large amount of capital funding in these difficult times. With this boost we can now push on and appoint contractors with a view to beginning construction early next year.”
The total project cost of £15.6 million includes capital works and professional fees. Funding has already been secured from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund Round 3, Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Community Led Economic Regeneration Framework and South of Scotland Enterprise, with Annan Harbour Action Group acting as the Council’s delivery partner.
Construction works are programmed to commence early in 2026 with completion anticipated in spring of 2028.
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