DEVELOPERS are to invest £200 million in a string of high-profile projects across a neglected corner of the country.
Council leaders and business people in Dumfries and Galloway have hailed the announcement as the "most compelling" opportunity for the region in living memory.
The funds will be used to build a university campus, a research centre, a museum and other facilities, while two new stands and a business park are also in the pipeline at Queen of the South’s Palmerston Park.
The investment has been brought to the table by developers Janson's Property following work by the Crichton Trust, who revitalised the former psychiatric hospital at Crichton Estate into the region's premier business hotspot.
Rob Shaw, chief executive officer of the Crichton Trust, said the cash injection had the potential to transform the area and would have an impact on the wider national economy for years to come.
He said: “We are delighted and proud to announce the most compelling and tangible investment opportunity that Dumfries and Galloway region has had in living memory.
“We will deliver truly transformational investment and development in conjunction with Jansons Property and the William Pears Group and know we will be working with a partner who has a long-standing ethos of committing to projects that deliver public benefit.
"It is a very exciting day for Scotland and the Dumfries and Galloway region which will provide substantial benefit to the local community and creative sustainable well paid jobs at all levels.”
Andy Jansons, managing director of Jansons Property, added: “We are pleased to be working with the Crichton Trust in taking forward this exciting development, and we will bring together the funding and expertise to deliver appropriate projects for the Crichton and the community of Dumfries and Galloway.”
Projects which will no go ahead include a purpose-built campus for the University of the West of Scotland and a research and innovation centre for Dumfries.
A museum to display artefacts from the Hunterian Museum, the Crichton Archives and the Dumfries and Galloway collection will also be built while the plans include a 250 purpose-built student residences.
John McGee, of The Crichton Trust, added: “A major challenge for all rural or perceived remote regions is being able to attract mainstream investors and developers.
"We are thrilled that we have been able to attract an outstanding investor and this will be to the wider benefit of the Region and Scotland.”
The Crichton site was bought by Dumfries and Galloway Council in 1995. Councillor Colin Smyth, Chair of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Crichton Sub-Committee said, “There are a lot of major projects we want to see come to fruition to ensure the Crichton fulfils its massive potential but in a way that preserves this historical site which is close to the hearts of the people of Dumfries and beyond.
"That will require significant investment of the scale being proposed and really could help deliver on our number one priority to build the local economy and create jobs and opportunities for local people”
He added: " The fact we have been able to attract interest in investment of this level shows that Dumfries and Galloway is open to investment and there are exciting opportunities beyond the cities.
"A lot of hard work will be needed by the Crichton Trust and partners to get each project to a stage where they are ready to go but if we can deliver these projects and potentially more then it would herald real transformational change for the region".
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