UK Government announces multi million pound funding for Moray College Hub at RAF Lossiemouth
£21-million investment in aerospace campus will form part of the Moray Growth Deal.
Minister Iain Stewart and RAF Lossiemouth station commander. MOD Crown Copyright.
An aerospace centre of excellence will be established adjacent to RAF Lossiemouth, backed by £21-million funding, UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart announced today.
Following RAF Lossiemouth taking ownership of a strategic facility to house nine new submarine hunting Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, the Moray Aerospace, Advanced Technology and Innovation Campus will work with both the RAF and private partners to support the fleet.
This will create hundreds of new student places to provide Moray residents with the skills for working in the aviation sector. This will turn Moray into a global centre for aviation engineering and attract further businesses to the region.
Today’s announcement means that the UK Government will invest £21-million in the project as part of the Moray Growth Deal, with a further £12.3-million from local partners.
UK Government minister for Scotland, Iain Stewart, visited RAF Lossiemouth today [Wednesday 12 August]. Speaking after his tour, Mr Stewart said:
Since the Moray deal was announced we have been working to make progress, and I am delighted to confirm the UK Government will invest £21-million in this college hub which will help the region prosper from its aerospace sector.
There is a significant way to go to get our economy back on track after the coronavirus pandemic, but we know that the City and Region Growth Deals will be crucial to Scotland’s economic recovery.
The pandemic has called for extraordinary economic measures, and the UK Government has done everything we can to support jobs and businesses. We have supported 900,000 jobs in Scotland with our furlough and self-employed schemes, including 15,700 in Moray.
The UK Government is investing more than £1.5-billion in City Region and Growth Deals across every part of Scotland. This programme is creating thousands of jobs and opportunities and we will continue to work with the Scottish Government to deliver these.
This announcement follows a visit to RAF Lossiemouth from the Prime Minister at the end of last month. Here, he saw the leading contribution made by the Armed Forces in Scotland, both to crises like the coronavirus response and the day-to-day defence of the UK.
Background
The full list of projects, all subject to business case approval, in the Moray Growth Deal are expected to be announced shortly. The ambitious deal is set to create opportunities for those who choose to live and work in Moray, and is jointly funded by the UK Government (£32.5-million), Scottish Government (£32.5-million), and regional partners (TBC).
The Moray Growth deal funding was announced in July 2019.
Heads of terms on the deal are expected to be signed shortly.