Green light for £384m Edinburgh & South East Scotland City Region Deal projects

The first tranche of investments in a series of transformative projects in Edinburgh and South East Scotland have received approval as part of the City Region Deal.Combined funding of £384 million was approved this week by the City Region Deal’s Joint Committee for five projects aimed at unlocking the area’s potential to become a global leader in data driven innovation (DDI), enhancing skills and employability, expanding the region’s cultural offering and delivering a new concert hall.Investment will be provided to the:IMPACT Centre music and performance venue in Edinburgh, which is subject to approval by the City of Edinburgh Council’s planning committee.Bayes Centre at the University of EdinburghWorld Class Data Infrastructure project at University of EdinburghNational Robotarium at Heriot-Watt UniversityThe Integrated Regional Employability and Skills (IRES) programme.The Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Regional Deal is an agreement between the UK Government, Scottish Government, the local authorities of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Fife, Midlothian, Scottish Borders, West Lothian and the region’s universities and colleges. There are also regional partners from the private and third sectors.The approved projects are the first in a series of announcements expected to total around £1.3 billion over the next 15 years. It is anticipated that the investments will generate a further £5bn worth of Gross Value Added (GVA) during the Deal’s lifespan.The £384m investment is a combination of capital and revenue funding from all partner elements of each project.