Original £214 Million Fund Hit By Indecision and Inflation
Stirling politicians have expressed concern over the status of the flagship Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal, after fresh figures reveal a 40% reduction in spending power due to delays, inflation and projected cost increases.
Agreed between the UK and Scottish Governments in February 2020, four years on there are concerns the deal has yet to deliver touted benefits to Stirling’s communities – and projects bogged down by administrative delays risk being scrapped altogether due to soaring costs.
The news comes after officials announced the cancellation of a £10 million National Tartan Centre, a central project in the overall scheme.
Stirling SNP Council Group Leader Scott Farmer said:
‘The City Deal was, and still is, a fantastic opportunity to invest in Stirling’s future. However the longer projects take to get off the planning board and into being, the more they’ll cost and the less bang for our buck we’ll get. The scrapping of the Tartan Centre is deeply regrettable, but the sad conclusion of indecision and mounting construction costs. Stirling Council and partners need an urgent reset of the City Deal, how it’s managed – and how best to put this money to work for all our communities.’
Stirling MP Alyn Smith said:
‘It’s been four years since this deal was signed, and many folks around Stirling will be scratching their heads wondering what it has achieved thus far. Whilst we should all appreciate the world has vastly changed since February 2020, with the pandemic, Brexit and the war in Ukraine all bearing down on ambitions, we’re at real risk of squandering this golden opportunity. The communities I represent want to see the City Deal delivering for this generation and the next, boosting all kinds of further investment and prosperity right across the constituency. I’m in firm agreement with our Councillors that the City Deal needs a refresh, focussed on delivery.’