101 towns in England, including Telford, will be given up to £1 million to kick start regeneration projects and give areas a boost, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced today.
Telford will receive the maximum allocation of £1 million.
This money will be used for the repurposing of commercial floor space for Enterprise Hubs/Nodes, the regeneration of vacant and derelict premises in Oakengates and Wellington and for continued investment in the Telford Town Centre's Station Quarter. The £1 million, delivered through the Government's towns fund, will be allocated immediately to these projects.
As a member of the Telford town board, Lucy has driven the targeting of the funding to ensure that residents of Telford will maximise benefits from investment across the town. These funds are part of the overall £3.6 billion Towns Fund money allocated - with this initial pot shared out now to get some projects off the ground and give local areas the boost they need.
All 101 towns selected to work towards a Town Deal were given a funding allocation with proposals submitted to the MCHLG in August, before being reviewed by officials and a final decision made by ministers.
Town Deals build directly on the government’s commitment to decentralising funding and decisions away from Whitehall and investing in the growth of local economies and devolving powers through ambitious City and Growth Deals, providing more than £9 billion of funding to Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and introducing 8 metro mayors in England.
The Government is working with councils and LEPs to create better transport links, more connectivity and world-class education opportunities across the country.
Lucy Allan MP said:
"I am delighted that Telford has received the maximum allocation from the towns fund, ensuring that the economic future of Telford remains bright, following the challenging year we have faced.
I would like to thank the Communities Secretary for working closely with local stakeholders and myself to deliver a comprehensive programme of investment that will lead to dynamic economic growth across Telford.
This £1 million represents an initial down payment towards the town's future and I am continuing to work closely with Ministers and the towns board to lobby for a further £25 million for Telford from Government."
Communities Secretary, Robert Jenrick MP, said:
“Our Towns Fund will help to share prosperity across the country and level-up. This £80 million funding for immediate investment is a real boost for our towns and will help them thrive with investment in transport, technology, skills and culture.
“It will give towns across the opportunity to drive economic growth and improve prospects for their communities, which will be vital as the country respond to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. We are fully behind our high streets and will support local areas to build back better.”
