Local Recovery has welcomed the UK Government’s announcement that a £2.6 million investment in Dundee’s V&A will now go ahead.

On a visit to the city, Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray confirmed the funding – while also hailing the city’s Community Regeneration Partnership, established by the UK Government with an allocated £20 million of support for local projects. The V&A Dundee funding will go towards remodelling and expanding the landmark museum’s Scottish Design Galleries.

Local Recovery has campaigned for legacy community projects in Scotland to continue, the vast majority of which were assured in the autumn budget. This included continued support for Dundee’s sustainable transport hub, now under construction in Bell Street, which successfully secured £14.4 million from the Levelling Up Fund in 2023.

Local Recovery ambassador Eddie Wighton, who lives and works in the city, said:

“This is great news for Dundee – one of a number of UK Government investments that are playing a significant role in the city’s transformation and regeneration.

“The V&A has become a well-established part of the city and an emblem of the change that is happening at the waterfront and beyond.

“Ahead of the last general election, Local Recovery actively campaigned to ensure that important UK-backed projects across Scotland would be able to access the funding that they had been awarded.

“So it is positive to see that the UK Government continues to invest in Dundee – and recognise the importance of these sorts of projects to communities.”