THE chief of one of Scotland’s largest councils has called for the UK’s levelling up funds to be devolved to Holyrood saying there are “serious issues with the process”.
Adam McVey, the SNP leader of Edinburgh City Council, said both the money and the decisions over which projects receive grants should be a matter that is put in the hands of the Scottish Parliament.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced in his budget speech on Wednesday that Edinburgh city council would receive £16.5m under Boris Johnson’s levelling up scheme which the Prime Minister has presented as a measure to strengthen the Union.
The funding route has been controversial, with the Scottish Government accusing the Treasury of undermining devolution by siphoning funds to councils, rather than delivering them through the Scottish Parliament as the projects lie in devolved areas.
READ MORE: Rishi Sunak 'proud' to bypass Scottish Parliament in levelling-up scheme
The scheme also replaces slices of EU funding which had previously been administered by Holyrood.
On Thursday Adam McVey welcomed the funds for Edinburgh which will be used to help kickstart a revamp on one of the capital’s main waterfronts areas and restore the iconic gasholder tower in Granton.
But last night the council leader told The National that Edinburgh was given the lowest level of priority and that five other applications that would benefit the capital city were turned down by the authority.
“Edinburgh submitted six applications in total and our applications were severely hindered because the UK Conservative Government has given our city the lowest possible level of priority,” he said.
“We’re very pleased that one of the six has been successful and the funding of the iconic gasholder will help us to deliver on our big ambitions for Granton and the city’s waterfront.
“But the serious issues with the process can’t be ignored. This is Scotland’s funding and these decisions should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament to better represent our needs and ambitions.”
He added: “Despite this bias against Edinburgh, we submitted projects that can make a difference in areas like Wester Hailes, Craigmillar, Pennywell and Granton.
“While we’re pleased to see funding come forward for Granton, the other projects can deliver a lot for our city, helping us to reduce poverty, become net-zero by 2030 and enhance wellbeing and inclusivity across our Capital.
“They are too important to become a political football, so I call on the UK Conservative Government again to devolve this funding to the Scottish Parliament.
“Let us get on with investing in our communities, rather than jumping through hoops as the Tories play politics with replacements for what would have been EU funding.”
The Edinburgh project is among the schemes being given some £172 million in Scotland, and includes funds for a market square being created in Aberdeen city centre, and a revamp of Inverness Castle, which is a nineteenth-century red sandstone building overlooking the River Ness.
The largest single payout from the levelling-up fund is £38.7 million, which will go towards the support of the regeneration of Paisley’s town centre (currently being used for it’s 2021 Halloween Festival) and business area, as well as being used in the planned upgrading of pedestrian, cycling, public transport and road links between the town and the nearby Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland.
“We are, always will be, one family, one United Kingdom,” Sunak told MPs as he delivered his budget.
READ MORE: The UK levelling up fund could be the start of a Tory Trojan horse
It is not yet clear what if any branding Downing Street is requiring for the projects.
Senior figures in the UK government are considering brass plaques — or something similar.
It is understood that large signs to highlight the source of the cash will not be erected, as was the case with projects funded by the European Union, but that UK ministers are looking at smaller dedications at the various sites.
Sources told the Times that overt branding of the Union flag, which had previously been floated by some Whitehall figures, may be rejected in favour of a more subtle approach.
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