Fylde Council has submitted its application to receive £2.6million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) for the period April 2022 to April 2025.
The UKSPF is a government-allocated fund which is intended to reduce inequalities between communities, as part of the Government’s wider “levelling up” agenda.
It will help places right across the country deliver enhanced outcomes and recognises that even the most affluent parts of the UK contain pockets of deprivation and need support.
To access the allocation, Fylde Council has submitted an Investment Plan setting out how they intend to deliver the funding. The Investment Plan, created through engagement with local partners, must address one or more of the Fund’s three main investment priorities. The three themes are:
- Community and Place – building pride in the community, restoring a sense of community and belonging and regenerating Town centres.
- Supporting Local Business – increasing pay, productivity, and employment chances.
- People and Skills – supporting high quality skills and training.
There are a series of 41 possible interventions which sit across the three themes, and these cover a broad range of possible activities. Each of these interventions will contribute to fulfilling one of the 3 priorities. The Council and the UKSPF Local Partnership Group have selected the interventions they consider most relevant to supporting and delivering their local priorities.
The main interventions that the Council have selected, having worked in collaboration with our Partnership Board, include:
- Funding improvements to Town Centres and High Streets
- Supporting young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) / at risk
- Business support measures to drive employment growth
- Investment in capacity building and infrastructure support for local civic society and community groups.
A completed list of the selected interventions can be viewed within our completed Investment Plan, which will be published on our website.
Councillor Karen Buckley, Leader of Fylde Council, said: “We are hugely excited by the potential this investment plan presents for our towns, our communities, and the future of Fylde. Our ambitious regeneration programmes have already begun to rejuvenate the borough, and in conjunction with our bid for the Levelling Up fund, this UKSPF allocation would greatly enhance our capacity for investment in local businesses, local people, and local communities. We will continue to work closely with our varied and valued partners to ensure that this funding is used to excellent effect.”
From the 1st of August, work will begin with local and pan-Lancashire partners to explore project ideas that will support the delivery of Fylde’s Investment Plan. Funding is expected to be approved at the beginning of October 2022 and all activities must be delivered and paid for by 31st August 2025 when the funding ends. Regular updates will be provided throughout.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus
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