Shropshire Council have announced that they have been awarded a share of funding that will contribute towards supporting levelling up initiatives across the county, as well as supporting the local economy.
Having submitted an investment plan to the Department forLevelling Up, Housing and Communities in August last year, the council has been awarded £12.4 million to go and begin work to explore how they can implement the funding in local projects.
The council’s Executive Director of Place, Mark Barrow, said;
“We’re really pleased to confirm the £12.4 million of UKSPF funding here at Shropshire Council.
“We’re confident the funding scheme will allow us much more flexibility and autonomy as a council to allocate funding where we see best fit for our communities and businesses.
“Very soon we will be identifying opportunities for activities that can commence before April, and will keep our website up-to-date with the latest information.”
The funding will be in place until 2025 and was established to build on previous funding from the EU (the European Social Fund and European Regional Development Fund).
Dean Carroll, Cabinet Member for Growth, Regeneration and Housing, said:
“This funding will help to ease the pressure on our local businesses and communities during difficult times, and provide some much-needed new opportunities in Shropshire.
“We are a rural and sparsely populated county which tends to make simple, day-to-day things that little bit more expensive. We hope that the funds can help tackle some of these issues and want to work with stakeholders and partners to address the county’s priorities moving forwards.
“This could be through regeneration projects, upskilling our workforces or boosting economic recovery in our market towns.
“Watch this space for further information on how to apply for the funds.”
The three main focuses of the funding are communities and place, local businesses, and people and skills.
