Revised plans for Innerleithen mountain bike centre revealed
Revised plans for a multi-million pound mountain bike innovation centre in the Borders have been unveiled.It had initially been hoped that Caerlee Mill in Innerleithen could be converted but severe structural issues and rising costs put an end to that proposal.Instead, plans to demolish the building - which dates back to 1788 - have been agreed and approval will be sought for a new structure to replace it.South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) said the project could create more than 400 jobs in the region over 10 years.
The old mill is one of the oldest industrial buildings in Scotland but ultimately proved too costly to convert.Instead, the £19m project will see a new centre built where it once stood.If approved it would allow Scottish, UK and international companies to develop mountain biking and cycling products and services.The scheme will be funded by the UK government as port of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal.
The project will also host academics and research by Edinburgh Napier University across the cycling sector.It would include bike engineering workshop space, brand experience units, events space, offices, meeting rooms and teaching space.Russel Griggs, who chairs SOSE, said: "This is another important step forward for the mountain bike innovation centre project."If planning permission is received, the new facility will allow high-value jobs to come to the south of Scotland, maximising the value of mountain biking to the area by getting more products and services designed and made here."Scotland Office minister Kirsty McNeill added: "I welcome this major step forward towards the mountain bike innovation centre in Innerleithen opening for business, bringing jobs and investment to the region and attracting riders from across the country and beyond to a world-class facility."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
8 hours ago
- BBC News
Loch Ness hydro project to go before Highland councillors
Plans for one of three large hydro power schemes that would draw water from Loch Ness to generate electricity are to go before Highland councillors next Kemp Storage Ltd has proposed building a power station and tunnels near Whitebridge, about 10 miles (16km) north of Fort Scottish government, which has a say on whether it eventually goes ahead or not, has consulted Highland Council on the local authority's officials have recommended that the south planning applications committee does not raise any objections to the plans. Loch Kemp is one of three different pumped storage hydro schemes proposed for near Loch others are Statkraft's Loch na Cathrach, in the hills above Dores, and Glen Earrach Energy (GEE), near would also draw water from Loch Ness to help generate electricity for thousands of homes. Pumped storage hydro involves two bodies of water at different heights. The water flows from one to the other through tunnels, passing through a power station to generate there is low demand for electricity from consumers and/or when surplus power is available from wind farms, electricity is used to pump water from the lower level to fill a reservoir further up the water can then be released from the upper reservoir, flowing down the tunnels to drive turbines which generate hydro-electricity. This happens at times of high demand, or when there is not enough wind to power wind Kemp Storage Ltd, which is owned by Statera Energy, has proposed damming Loch Kemp, the upper reservoir of its scheme, to raise water also plans to construct an underground waterway systems and tunnels, and powerhouse on the shores of Loch Ness. GEE has been holding community events this week as part of its work towards trying to secure consent for the 2GW project on Balmacaan developer has made a commitment to deliver a community wealth fund of more than £20m a year throughout the lifetime of the scheme.A spokesperson said GEE was developing one of the UK's "largest and most water efficient" pumped storage hydro na Cathrach, formerly known as Red John, was granted consent by the Scottish government in June 2021. The project was taken over by Statkraft in December 2023 and is in a pre-construction phase. The UK has four existing pumped storage projects - Cruachan and Foyers in Scotland, and Dinorwig and Ffestiniog in a large-scale pumped storage scheme has not been built in the UK for more than 30 Power Station on Loch Ness opened in 1974, though hydro electricity has been generated in the area since the late 19th SSEN Transmission has proposed an extension to the switching station, which manages the flow of electricity from the site.A proposal of application notice was submitted to Highland Council in operator of Cruachan - an underground power station dubbed "Hollow Mountain" - has put on hold its plans for a major expansion of the developer Drax had proposed building a new hydro-electric facility next to its existing complex inside Ben Cruachan, near Dalmally in it said the costs of the project had risen and it would not be bidding for UK government support at this company said the expansion could potentially go-ahead in the future, "subject to an appropriate balance of risk and return".
Sky News
9 hours ago
- Sky News
Chancellor Rachel Reeves pledges 'largest settlement since devolution' for Scotland
The chancellor has pledged the "largest settlement in real terms since devolution" for Scotland as part of the UK government's spending review. Rachel Reeves promised £52bn for Scotland as she unveiled a raft of investments for north of the border, including increased spending on defence, development funding for a carbon capture project, and money to reboot plans for the UK's most powerful supercomputer. The Scottish government will receive an average block grant of £50.9bn per year between 2026-27 and 2028-29. Ms Reeves told MPs: "This spending review provides the largest settlement in real terms since devolution was introduced." 1:19 The UK government said the money will allow the Scottish government to be able to "spend more on its priorities such as funding NHS Scotland, education, transport and welfare". However, Scotland's finance secretary Shona Robison said it "fails to deliver" and has "short-changed" the nation by more than a billion pounds, as she warned spending levels for public services will "fail to offset the impact of proposed cuts to welfare support and the rise in national insurance contributions". Ms Reeves announced a £250m investment for HM Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde. The Royal Navy base - commonly known as Faslane - houses the UK's nuclear submarines. The funding, part of the Clyde 2070 programme, will be injected over the next three years. 'Next industrial revolution' The chancellor also pledged development funding for the Acorn carbon capture project in Aberdeenshire in a bid to aid "Scotland's transition from oil and gas to low carbon technology". However, it is yet to be confirmed how much money will be allocated to the project - which will store carbon emissions from across Scotland under the North Sea. Aberdeen-headquartered Great British Energy and Great British Energy - Nuclear will invest more than £8.3bn over the parliament in homegrown clean power, alongside establishing a new government campus for energy. Ms Reeves stated: "These are investments to make sure the towns and cities which powered the last industrial revolution will play their part in our next industrial revolution to reduce our reliance on overseas oil and gas and protect working families from price shocks." Scotland will also receive £452m over four years to continue the delivery of City and Growth Deals across the nation. In addition, the Scottish capital will also become home to the UK's most powerful supercomputer. 2:58 Ms Reeves had earlier revealed up to a further £750m would be allocated to the University of Edinburgh project. The funding reinstates a scheme that was scrapped last year by Labour as it had not been funded by the outgoing Conservative government. It is hoped the cash injection will "kickstart economic growth" and is part of efforts to strengthen "Britain's position as an AI-maker and research power". The supercomputer will aid scientists in cutting-edge research, whether that's personalised medical treatments, sustainable air travel, or modelling climate change. The government said the new supercomputer will "vastly exceed" the capacity of the UK's current national supercomputer, ARCHER2. The Brand Scotland programme will receive £2.25m between 2026-2029 to continue promoting the nation's investment opportunities and its globally celebrated products around the world. 'Game-changing' review Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar praised the spending review as "game-changing", adding: "The plans set out today will bring billions of pounds of investment to Scotland, on top of the record budget settlement delivered in the budget. "From the Acorn Project to a national supercomputer in Edinburgh to our defence industry, this Labour government is investing in Scotland's future while the SNP carps from the sidelines." Ms Reeves had earlier this week announced a partial U-turn in the cut to the universal winter fuel payment. The payment, worth up to £300, will be restored to pensioners in England and Wales with an income of less than £35,000 a year. In Scotland, ministers had previously revealed plans to ensure all pensioners north of the border receive a payment in 2025/26. Under the Scottish government's proposals, those in receipt of pension credit or other benefits will receive a £200 or £300 payment, depending on their age. All other pensioners will receive a reduced payment of £100. The change in policy from the UK government will bring additional money to Holyrood. The Scottish government has not ruled out making changes to its planned scheme, but First Minister John Swinney said his ministers were "trying to understand the fiscal implications" of Westminster's decision. Settlement 'particularly disappointing' Finance secretary Ms Robison said: "Today's settlement for Scotland is particularly disappointing, with real terms growth of 0.8% a year for our overall block grant, which is lower than the average for UK departments. "Had our resource funding for day-to-day priorities grown in line with the UK government's overall spending, we would have £1.1bn more to spend on our priorities over the next three years. In effect, Scotland has been short-changed by more than a billion pounds. "This all comes on top of the UK government's failure to fully fund their employer national insurance increase, depriving us of hundreds of millions of pounds in funding, and their proposed cuts in support for disabled people that will push 250,000 people into poverty, including 50,000 children." Ms Robison also said that "despite apparent briefing to media in advance", the Scottish government was still "awaiting clarity" on funding for the Acorn carbon capture project. The finance secretary added: "We made extensive representations to the UK government on our priorities for the spending review, including calls for an end to spending that bypasses devolution, but there has been limited opportunity to engage with them. "It appears that the continuation of local growth funding - which fails to match the European structural funds it was supposed to replace - will come directly from Whitehall, yet again bypassing devolved governments. "We will now take the time to digest the detail of this statement and will set out our formal response on 25 June as part of the medium-term financial strategy."
Telegraph
9 hours ago
- Telegraph
Trump plans memorial to his mother on new Scottish golf course
Donald Trump is creating a memorial garden to his Scottish mother on the site of his new golf course in Aberdeenshire. The main feature of the garden will be a tribute carved in stone imported from Mary Anne Trump's birthplace, the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. The announcement of Mr Trump's tribute to his mother came as Trump International Scotland unveiled the layout for a new course alongside the existing links course on his Menie estate. It is set to formally open this summer. Known officially as the Old and the New, the courses will combine to create what the company describes as ' the greatest 36 holes in golf' on the Aberdeenshire coast. The US president's mother was born Mary Anne MacLeod on Lewis, but emigrated to New York in 1930 when she was 18. She was one of tens of thousands of Scots who travelled to the US and Canada in the early years of the last century looking to escape economic hardship at home. She was hired as a domestic servant at the Carnegie Mansion on New York's Fifth Avenue and six years later married Frederick Trump, the successful property developer son of German migrants, and one of the most eligible men in New York. The US president was the fourth of the couple's five children. Mr Trump has spoken fondly of his mother, who died in 2000, aged 88. He said in an interview last year: ' The Scottish very great people, they're tough people. They're good fighters. [My mother] was funny, she had a great sense of humour.' Sarah Malone, the executive vice-president of Trump International, said: 'With the New course opening now fast approaching, we are delighted to share the final layout of this extraordinary links and the completion of The Greatest 36 Holes. 'It has been a phenomenal journey to create two truly exceptional world-class championship golf courses, across this magnificent stretch of North Sea coastline. 'The Trump family has a deep affection for Scotland, not only as the home of golf, but as the ancestral home of President Trump's beloved mother, Mary Anne MacLeod.' The plans for the second course were approved in 2019 alongside proposals for 550 new homes, shops, offices and restaurants. Planners received 2,921 valid representations from the public about the plan, 2,918 of which were objections and just 3 supported the Trump Organisation application. But despite the significant local opposition, Aberdeenshire council approved the £150 million plan.
