Lichfield District Council have submitted a bid to the second round of the government’s Levelling Up Fund, having been rebuffed in the first round.
Should the £15.7 million bid be secured, the council would be able to fund a new leisure centre for the area, with the entire project coming to a cost of around £17 million.
The new facility would include a new six-lane swimming pool, a community room, a fitness suite with 80 stations, and a spin studio, as well as other infrastructure that will benefit the nationwide push for net zero carbon emissions, such as electric vehicle charging points and storage for bicycles.
Leader of Litchfield District Council, Councillor Dough Pullen, said:
“We have dynamic plans for development across the district and are determined to see them realised.
“From a new leisure centre in the city, to a community hub in Burntwood, there is much to look forward to.
“The Levelling Up Fund and UK Shared Prosperity Fund are supporting projects of this nature, so I am delighted that we have submitted bids for a share of the available money.
“I hope they are successful.”
The council has also submitted a bid for a £3.2 million share of the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, in order to kick start projects such as a new community hub for Burntwood, a new cinema for Lichfield and support for start-up businesses. With the non-competitive nature of the UKSPF, local authorities are required to submit plans that show the government exactly how the money would be spent and how it would benefit the community.