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Friday 17 April
Welcome to Council News, your fortnightly update from our council.
Our team is always keen to give you updates on the things that matter the most to you.
We also want to share positive stories about things that are happening in your community.
If you have news that you'd like to share – shining a light on an individual, community group or event – we would love to feature them in our Community bulletin.
Please email us at communitybulletin@dumgal.gov.uk with feedback or story ideas and one of our reporters will get back to you.
Whitesands Construction Contract Awarded
Dumfries and Galloway Council has awarded the main works contract for the Whitesands Flood Protection and Public Realm Improvement Scheme in Dumfries to McLaughlin & Harvey.
Following the council’s two‑stage procurement process – which included an early contractor involvement stage commencing in 2025 – the council has agreed a construction contract with McLaughlin & Harvey with a contract value of £45.44 million and an anticipated works duration of 43 months.
Start dates and phasing will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Full Council approved the Full Business Case in December 2025, securing funding for the £68.6 million project, subject to final preparations and consents.
Councillors agreed to allocate £13.7 million (20 per cent) of the project cost. This approval provided the financial certainty needed to move from planning and design into contract and construction phases.
The project is designed to reduce flood risk in Dumfries town centre from the River Nith while also delivering public realm improvements along the riverside corridor in Dumfries from Greensands, through Whitesands to Dock Park.
Coming up in This Week's Council News:
Meet the Buyer Returns This May
If you run a business in Dumfries and Galloway and want to hear what work may be coming up, Meet the Buyer is a good place to start.
Taking place on Thursday 21 May between 9.30am and 12.30pm at The Bridge, Dumfries, this free event is aimed at businesses that want to better understand how to put themselves in a stronger position when contracts go live.
It will bring together buyers, partner organisations and businesses for a practical morning of information, advice and conversation. Attendees will be able to hear more about upcoming opportunities, meet the people involved and get straightforward advice on how the process works.
It is also suitable for businesses that are completely new to tendering, as well as those already supplying to the public sector.
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Summer of Play and Summer of Sport Fund 2026
Dumfries and Galloway Council has launched two summer holiday funds worth £150,000 to support play and sport activities for children and young people.
Funding is available for local third-sector organisations in Dumfries and Galloway to deliver free activities during the summer holidays. This £150,000 package includes £100,000 for the Summer of Play fund and £50,000 for the new Summer of Sport fund.
Summer of Play will support free activities for children and young people aged five to 18. A key aim is to help young people socialise, meet others and make new friends during the holidays. Another aim is to widen opportunities for children from low-income families and improve equity.
Projects should integrate food provision and focus on children and young people within priority groups.
The Summer of Sport fund will support projects where sport and physical activity are the main element. Community groups, third sector organisations and sports clubs can apply for Summer of Sport funding for young people aged five to 26.
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The John Wallace Trust
The John Wallace Trust awards bursaries and travel grants to secondary school pupils living in the Upper Nithsdale area who are about to enter into, or who currently attend, higher education.
Funding can be awarded for up to five years. The amount paid may vary each year, depending on the number of applications received.
Students must complete a certificate of attendance each year to receive their payment.
Awards may be made to pupils or students who are about to enter, or are already attending:
- Barony College, or another institution specialising in agriculture and allied sciences.
- A university or another recognised higher education institution.
- The Open University.
The scheme is open to applicants in March each year and closes at the end of December.
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In the News
We publish all of our press releases from the last 12 months on our website so you can keep up-to-date.
- Dumfries and Galloway Council Appoints New Head of Education Resources.
- Whitesands Construction Contract Awarded.
- Meet the Buyer Returns to Dumfries This May.
Watch Council Meetings
We stream videos of a wide range of council meetings on our YouTube channel.
You can still watch previous meetings to find out the key issues being discussed. Recent meetings include:
- Planning Applications Committee - Thursday 16th April 2026.
- SWestrans Board Meeting - Friday 27 March 2026.
- Dumfries and Galloway Full Council - Thursday 26 February 2026.
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