An additional £600,000 in funding has been confirmed for the Rothesay Pavilion renovation project.

The money has been secured from the Coastal Communities Fund (CCF).

The fund aims to encourage the economic development of UK coastal communities by awarding funding to create sustainable economic growth and jobs. For this round of funding, the projects also need to use the monies before the end of 2016.

Argyll and Bute Council has described the funding as the "penultimate piece of a complex funding jigsaw", with a decision due to be made on the final piece today (27 January). This latest funding follows an investment by the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) of £750,000 last week.

Welcoming the CCF decision, Councillor Dick Walsh, Leader of Argyll and Bute Council, said: "I warmly welcome this news – it's another boost to a project which is really gathering momentum. Hot on the heels of last week's £750,000 from our partners in Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), we've now got most of the pieces in place. We'll have our fingers crossed for the HLF money, which we should hear about later this week.


"I'd like to congratulate the project team and thank them for their hard work – these funding bids can be very complex and there's always huge competition for the money. We've a great track record when it comes to securing funding for regeneration projects, which is testament to the professionalism of our staff.

"This is a really exciting project, with the ultimate aim to restore the pavilion to its former glory, turning it into a hub for culture, tourism and sport. It'll be fantastic for residents of Bute but also a real tourist attraction. The council is committed to delivering this project, with over £2million coming directly from our regeneration budget, and I for one cannot wait to see work get underway."

It is anticipated that Rothesay Pavilion will close in autumn 2015 to allow for surveys to be carried out, as well as furniture and attachments to be removed from the site. This will then allow construction work to commence in January 2016, with the hope of the refurbished facility opening in summer 2017.

(JP/CD)