Worcester secures more Government investment
Worcester City Council has secured £2.96m to invest in the city from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The money will be used for a range of initiatives in the city including boosting Worcester’s profile as a visitor destination, support for community schemes, the arts and business, and energy efficiency.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) is the successor to the European Structural Fund, and this funding allocation builds on the city council’s previous success in securing more than £40m from national schemes including the Future High Streets Fund and the Towns Fund.
Cllr Chris Mitchell, joint leader of Worcester City Council, said: “This is good news for the city, and demonstrates continued support from the Government for the improvements and developments that we are making in Worcester.
“Community groups, businesses and creative organisations will benefit from the initiatives that this £2.96 million will support, demonstrating the Government’s commitment to supporting communities in terms of levelling-up.”
To support the city’s businesses, £150,000 will be used to back research and innovation, and part of the UKSPF money will be used to pay for energy-efficiency assessments of business premises and grants for energy improvements.
This latest award of government funding is the latest in a line of public investments in the city.
Improvements to the northern part of the city centre, including the development of a new arts centre in Angel Place, are being made thanks to £17.9m from the Future High Streets Fund.
An allocation of £19.6m from the Towns Fund is supporting a range of projects, including the new Kepax Bridge and other boosts to walking and cycling; the redevelopment of Isaac Maddox House in the city’s Shrub Hill quarter; and a new construction skills training centre in Dines Green.
The redevelopment of the city’s Victorian railway arches as The Arches – Worcester project, which has created new creative business spaces and will soon bring a new walking and cycling route from Foregate Street station to The Hive and the riverside, has been possible thanks to a successful £3.7m bid to the Cultural Development Fund.
