£44 million funding bid includes plans for town's centre
A council has submitted bids for £44m of investments - including a packaged of 'improvements' to a town centre.
Herefordshire Council's cabinet has approved making three bids for a slice of the Government’s £4bn Levelling Up Fund - including one for plans to improve Leominster town centre.
The council's aim is to increase footfall and grow the visitor and evening economy in the town centres, strengthening local access to culture, and supporting the vitality and vibrancy Leominster town centre. The council also wants to do the same in Ledbury.
Working with Leominster Town Council, the project will include redevelopment of the Grade 2 listed Priory to establish managed workspace, visitor accommodation and access to a wide range of public and community services.
Also included is the development of the Ross Enterprise Park and its transportation linkages to the rest of the town, delivering seven hectares of serviced employment land, delivering around 1250 additional jobs in the local economy.
Councillor Ellie Chowns, the council's cabinet member for Environment and Economy, said: “The Levelling Up Fund is a great opportunity to secure Government funding to help progress local projects across the county.
"These are substantial bids which, if successful, will deliver significant positive impacts to our local economy, and help us to provide safe and sustainable alternative modes of transport, promoting wellbeing, reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality in the county.”
“The scale and ambition of the bids demonstrates our commitment to investing in the quality of life of our residents, and ensuring our local communities remain vibrant places to live, work, study and visit.”
The outcome of the bidding process is expected in autumn. Successful projects will have to commence in financial year 2022/23, and be completed by the end of March 2025.
