UK Government announces £100 million for Ayrshire Growth Deal

The UK Government will invest £100 million in the Ayrshire Growth Deal, the Scottish Secretary David Mundell has announced today as he visited HALO Kilmarnock and Ayrshire College. This takes the total of UKG investment in the Growth Deals Programme to more than £1.2 billion across Scotland.

The multi-million pound investment will help drive economic development across the region, boosting jobs, creating opportunity and encouraging further inward investment.

The funding levels for specific projects will be confirmed within the coming weeks and is expected to focus on employability and skills programmes, innovation, aerospace and energy projects at Hunterston and Cumnock as well as vital improvements to digital connectivity and regeneration.

Scottish Secretary David Mundell said:

The UK Government’s £100 million investment in the Ayrshire Growth Deal will be transformative for the region, boosting jobs and prosperity right across Ayrshire. This brings UK Government investment in Growth Deals in Scotland to £1.2 billion, a huge commitment to growing Scotland’s economy.

We look forward to working with the Ayrshire Councils, the Scottish Government and the private sector to finalise the details of the innovative projects to be funded through the Growth Deal.

To date the UK Government has committed to more than £1.2 billion of Growth Deals Programme investment across Scotland helping to drive growth across the country.

On his visit today Mr Mundell was joined by representatives from East, North and South Ayrshire Councils, local businesses and founder and director of HALO Kilmarnock Marie Macklin.

The UK Government has previously committed to invest £3.5 million in HALO Kilmarnock, an ambitious regeneration programme project in the former Diageo bottling plant in the town.

Marie Macklin CBE, founder and executive chair of The HALO Urban Regeneration Company said:

I am honoured that the Secretary of State has chosen to come to Kilmarnock to announce the UK Government’s support for the Ayrshire Growth Deal and to underline the important role that The HALO will play in that.

We welcome the UK Government’s support of the HALO Scotland. Construction work is due to begin shortly and everyone at The HALO is looking forward to delivering this exciting, community led development that will breathe new life into not just Kilmarnock and East Ayrshire, but the whole of Scotland.