The five councils involved in the Borderlands project, including Dumfries and Galloway, took part in a virtual ceremony on Thursday to sign the unique deal.
It will deliver £85 million of investment in this region over ten years and has been hailed a game changer.
Key projects locally are set to be the redevelopment of Chapelcross, transformation of Stranraer Marina, a new Dairy Nexus near Dumfries and improvements to the 7Stanes mountain bike network.
Council leader Elaine Murray said: “This is the culmination of three years of hard work and shared ambition to produce the first cross-border deal and the largest UK growth deal to date. The Deal will improve connectivity, deliver skills and innovation, and support the longer-term resilience of our towns and communities. This in turn will help attract new residents and new employment opportunities, and welcome more visitors to our region.
“This deal will make a very significant contribution to the economic growth of Dumfries and Galloway, attracting further investment, improving our towns and benefitting the whole of our region.”
In a joint statement, politicians Oliver and David Mundell said: “This milestone is great news for Dumfriesshire and shows what can be achieved when our two governments work together, along with local authorities on both sides of the border. It is a real game-changer.”
- Pictured above, DG Council chief executive Gavin Stevenson at a Borderlands event
