Cumbria shares £15m for rural growth
CUMBRIA has received another significant economic fillip after winning a share of a £15m government fund to boost rural economies with faster broadband and better training.
The investment comes hot on the heels of the commitment by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline to open a new £350m manufacturing plant in Ulverston .
Environment secretary, Caroline Spelman said the county’s new Rural Growth Network should create nearly 1,000 jobs by enabling businesses to overcome the challenges of running a business in the remote uplands.
“New business hubs will be created at the centre of communities, giving businesses superfast broadband access and new networking and training opportunities.
“We expect to see almost 500 new businesses and almost a thousand new jobs created as a result, boosting the local economy by tens of millions of pounds.
“On top of this, we’re investing £32m to help farmers in the uplands across England take up new opportunities to grow their businesses and support thriving rural communities.”
Nationally, up to £2m of the investment in Rural Growth Networks will target rural enterprises led by women.
The five Rural Growth Networks were selected based on their potential to grow the local economy by creating jobs and providing new business opportunities.
