Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Press Release
17th September 2009
Comhairle Slams HIE’s £25m Investment
Highlands and Islands Enterprise should be investing in the fragile areas of the Highlands and Islands, not the already booming economy of Inverness, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has stated today.
The Leader of the Comhairle, Angus Campbell, was speaking in response to HIE’s announcement of a £25m investment in an education and business park in Inverness.
Mr Campbell said: “I make no comments on the merits or otherwise of this project and whilst it may be appropriate to invest in educational facilities I am increasingly concerned that HIE’s approach is fundamentally flawed.
HIE should be seeking to spread opportunity to the more fragile parts of the Highlands and Islands rather than consolidating into the Inner Moray Firth and pouring ever-increasing levels of resource into the already booming economy of Inverness
The Chairman of HIE states that this investment "…is the biggest project that HIE has ever undertaken”. That the biggest project that HIE has ever undertaken is in Inverness should be a cause of embarrassment and a sign of failure to him and to HIE.
As a development agency HIE’s success should only be judged on their efforts and successes in the fragile areas – that is what they were established to do. Concentrating on Inverness rather than the difficult challenge of the fragile areas can only be viewed as failure.
We need to ask what impact this project will have on their budget and what impact will it have on delivering growth elsewhere?
HIE investment and activity in the Outer Hebrides has collapsed – over the first seven months of 2009 their approvals listing show that they have only approved assistance of £350k in the Outer Hebrides. HIE are sucking support and investment away from the areas most in need of it to support projects in the best performing parts of the Highlands and Islands”.
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar have asked HIE to attend a meeting of the Comhairle to explain what strategy, if any, they have for fragile areas in the Highlands and Islands such as the Outer Hebrides.
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Nigel Scott
Communications Officer
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Tel: 01851 822622 (Work)
Tel: 07884 236103 (Mobile)
email: nscott@cne-siar.gov.uk
Ruairidh Maciver
Communications Assistant
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Tel: 01851 822615 (Work)
Tel: 07881 774601 (Mobile)
email: ruairidh.maciver@cne-siar.gov.uk
