The money has been secured from the Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.
During the summer, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, working with the local city and district councils, submitted to Government an investment plan detailing how a range of projects across the area could be funded under the scheme.
It has now been confirmed that 40 projects across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will receive a total of around £10 million in funding.
The funding is now due to start being received this financial year, ending by March 2025.
In South Cambridgeshire the projects funded include:
- £600,000 support towards creating amenities within Northstowe, through the Community Centre and Local Centre, including space for people working from home, room for business start-ups and space for community groups.
- £300,000 towards improving South Cambridgeshire’s High Streets, with the District Council planning to consult with parish councils and residents of larger High Streets, along with community building and village hall committees, to implement changes that are agreed following those discussions.
- Around £270,000 towards skills training for small and medium sized businesses.
- £150,000 towards a scheme to improve community gardens and greenspaces in communities, improving quality of life and health. This project will allow communities in areas of identified need to acquire, design, build and maintain community parks and growing spaces with professional support coordinated community action.
- £100,000 funding for a scheme based in libraries to support business start-ups, including a focus on females and ethnic minorities looking to establish and grow their own enterprises.
- £100,000 to support new business start-ups with grant funding.
South Cambridgeshire District Council will also be working in partnership with neighbouring councils on some other schemes that have been funded. These include:
- A programme of green business grants to help small businesses reduce carbon emissions and energy costs, in partnership with Cambridge City and Huntingdonshire District Councils. Under this programme, £170,000 will go to South Cambridgeshire businesses.
- Funding towards enhancing the area’s visitor economy and local markets, including by encouraging people to shop and visit local and a youth enterprise programme for disadvantaged and future traders, in partnership with Cambridge City Council. £70,000 of this funding will be spent in South Cambridgeshire.
South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Cllr Peter McDonald, said: “There are a variety of exciting projects here that will bring real benefits to communities and businesses. The initiatives that have been funded reflect many of our priorities as a Council – such as growing local businesses and economies and being green to our core. Importantly, much of the funding will be used to help support our local businesses who have faced a particularly challenging few years. We’re grateful to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority for their support in this process and look forward to continuing to work with them and neighbouring councils to put this funding to good use.”
Image: Coton Reserve by Anna Gazeley, courtesy of South Cambridgeshire District Council
