The Outer Hebrides LEADER group has written to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment expressing disappointment and dissatisfaction with the level of LEADER funding awarded to the Outer Hebrides. The group has also questioned the overall transparency of the decision making process.

In the letter, Archie Campbell, Chairman of the Local Action group, states: “ we are extremely disappointed with the funding award to the Outer Hebrides. An extensive consultation was undertaken with communities, through public meetings and via written submissions to obtain their views on local priorities and our LEADER Strategy and Business Plan was developed very much along these lines.”

Last week it announced that just £0.94m was to be allocated to the Outer Hebrides, compared with a funding bid of £2.8m.

Mr Campbell says: “The level of LEADER funding awarded at £0.94m is significantly less than requested and this will impact on our capacity to deliver a programme that can make a significant difference in terms of addressing the unique socio-econoic problems in the Outer Hebrides.
There is also some incredulity locally that the Outer Hebride, as one of the most peripheral and rural areas in Scotland, has failed to gain a realistic funding allocation from a rural development programme aimed at revitalising rural communities.”

On the matter of transparency, Mr Campbell says:”we are dissatisfied with the process by which decisions were made about funding bids. The Outer Hebrides bid was considered, along with other bids presumably, on 17 December 2008 by an “Independent Assessment Panel” and we received a letter from the Scottish Government on the same day.  This would indicate to us that our bid was not considered in any great depth and the content of the letter did not allay our fears.   

LEADER (Liaison Entre Actions de Developpement Economique Rurale) is a European funding programme aimed at growing rural communities and improving facilities.  The funding attracts further matching money from other public sector and private sources.

The EU programme period 2007-2013 possibly represents the final major opportunity for the Highlands and Islands to benefit from EU funds.

It is hoped that the Outer Hebrides will still secure substantial European funding from the £19m LEADER Convergence fund set aside specifically for the Highlands and Islands.

Nigel Scott
Communications Officer
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

Tel: 01851 709389 (Work)
Tel: 07884 236103 (Mobile)
email: nscott@cne-siar.gov.uk