Grants of £1.5 million available for heritage areas in Falkirk and beyond

The new Heritage and Place Programme is an area-based funding initiative that aims to contribute to the development of vibrant and sustainable places in Scotland

through community-based regeneration of the historic environment.

Heritage focused schemes located within conservation areas or distinctive heritage areas will be supported through the programme.

Grants will support a combination of activities including the repair and reuse of historic environment assets, training to strengthen local traditional skills, and building

capacity within communities to value and look after the historic environment in the long-term.

The Heritage and Place Programme will replace HES’s Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) which ran from 2007 to 2020.

As part of the new programme, a two-stage application process has been introduced which includes a match-funded development phase to encourage strategic, high-quality schemes with meaningful community involvement.

Schemes will also no longer need to be located within defined conservation areas, and conditions for third-party grants have been revised to ensure that requirements for funding are proportionate and provide further opportunities for participation.

Amy Eastwood, HES head of grants, said: “Through CARS, we awarded over £52 million to over 70 schemes across Scotland, bringing over 1000 historic buildings

back to life while supporting traditional skills training and encouraging community involvement.

“The Heritage & Place Programme builds on this success while streamlining the application process, providing further opportunities for participation and ensuring key aspects, from community involvement to traditional skills training, are strengthened to align with our current policy.

“Heritage-led regeneration and the reuse of historic buildings have the power to transform places and generate long-term social and economic benefits.

“Schemes accepted onto the programme will involve partnerships of a local, regional and national level to revive heritage areas based on a shared vision. Communities will be placed at the heart of each scheme to ensure their involvement throughout the process, as well as empowering them with the long-term aspiration of looking after their historic environment.”

Visit the website to find out more about the grants available.

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