New Forest District Council given additional £540,000 government funding to support rural communities

FUNDING totalling £540,000 has been awarded to New Forest District Council to support rural businesses and communities.

As reported in the A&T, the authority was awarded £1m under the government’s levelling-up agenda last year, to be spent on projects such as town centre improvement.

The cash came from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), a £2.6bn pot to be distributed to local authorities around the country over the next three years.

The money must be invested in initiatives which support communities and places, local businesses, or people and skills.

Now the council has received a further £540,115 from the Rural England Prosperity Fund, which is a top-up to the UKSPF and is available to eligible local authorities in England.

A report to the council’s cabinet, which met on Wednesday, said: “The New Forest Rural Fund proposals will support productivity and prosperity in the rural areas of the New Forest, and activities that specifically address the challenges faced by the rural areas in the district.”

The council’s chief planning officer, Claire Upton-Brown, said the money would be shared between business grants and supporting community infrastructure.

She added: “The report sets out that at the moment we have insufficient evidence of what community infrastructure should be supported, and therefore officers will be working with towns and parishes to develop an important plan to identify where capital will be spent.”

Members heard the money would provide rural businesses with grants of between £5,000 and £15,000 for investments in equipment and machinery to boost productivity, to invest in net zero infrastructure and also for projects which diversify farm businesses.

The council was currently developing an application process, the meeting heard, with Defra expected to release the funds in April.

Welcoming the financial support, cabinet member for business, tourism and high streets, Cllr Michael Harris, said: “I welcome this rural fund which is to be allocated over the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years.

“The NFDC economic development team is standing by to advise potential applicants and to administer the grant making process. I urge everyone to spread the word about this funding for our vital rural businesses.”

Cllr Jeremy Heron added: “I am very keen to see this money coming in to the Forest – not only does it support rural communities and businesses, which is excellent, but that money is going to be spent locally and filter down into the economy.”