Councillors grant lease for Moray’s Refugee effort

Moray Supports Refugees granted lease on storage units.
Moray Supports Refugees granted lease on storage units.

THE GROUP WORKING to assist Syrian refugees being rehomed in Moray are to be provided with a rent-free lease on business units owned by Moray Council.

A decision was taken today by members of the policy and resources committee when they were told by officers that the units on the Chanonry Business Centre in Elgin were required to allow the Moray Supports Refugees (MSR) group to carry on their work.

Currently, MSR is in the process of establishing its charitable status – and until they do, councillors were told, they require assistance from the local authority to continue the work they have been doing since their formation last year.

The council units were handed over to the support group last year and have been used for storage and distribution of donations for families arriving in Moray under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons resettlement scheme.

Currently there are four Syrian families who have resettled in accommodation in Forres under the scheme.

Using tsiMoray as a conduit until MSR is in a position to take on a lease themselves, Councillors granted a lease rent-free while the existing charitable status of tsiMoray will secure 80% rates relief on the units.

Policy and resources committee members agreed unanimously to award discretionary rates relief on the remaining 20%.

Moray Supports Refugees is holding an open meeting on Monday, June 13 when they aim to agree a constitution and explain the process of their obtaining charitable status.