Islands Growth Deal Joint Committee
The Islands Growth Deal is one of a number of Region and City Deals funded by UK and Scottish Governments. The Islands Growth Deal is a 10 year package of investment that will seek to drive economic growth and the creation of sustainable jobs across Shetland, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides.
The total value of the Islands Growth Deal is £100 million. The UK and Scottish Governments will each invest £50m over 10 years, subject to approval of full business cases for each project. The Islands Growth Deal projects are supported by a wide range of partners from across the public, private and academic sectors who together will seek to invest up to a further £293 million to deliver these projects. There is £33.3m being invested within each island group. Growth Deal funding is subject to the development of Full Business Cases.
The three island councils have put in place a governance structure to manage the Deal. This includes the creation of an Islands Growth Deal Joint Committee which has elected member representation from each of the three island councils and a Programme Management Board. Representatives at Chief Executive and Director level from the three local authorities, along with a Senior Management representative from HIE, sit on the Programme Management Board. A Programme Management Office has been put in place to manage the delivery of the Programme.
On 5 October 2021, the Council resolved to establish a Joint Committee, in terms of Section 57 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, between Orkney Islands Council, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and Shetland Islands Council for the purpose of managing implementation of the Growth Deal for the Islands.
The Joint Committee Governance Agreement in relation to the Islands Deal states there will be equal representation from each of the three Councils on the Joint Committee, with two representatives from each Council. One of the two representatives to be appointed by each Council shall be the Leader, with the second representative to be determined by the relevant Council. The settled position of the Islands Deal Programme Board is that the second appointment shall be the relevant Chair of economic development functions, having regard to the economic significance of the various projects within the Islands Deal Programme.
The following members currently represent the Council on the Islands Growth Deal Joint Committee:
- Councillor Heather N Woodbridge - Leader.
- Councillor David Dawson – Chair, Development and Infrastructure Committee.
The schedule of meetings, upcoming meeting papers and minutes of previous meetings can be found on the Islands Growth Deal website – a link is available from the “Related Sites” section of this page.
