Plan to approve funding to address host of challenges in North Yorkshire
Councillors will be asked to give the green light to deliver almost £17 million of Government funding
Councillors will be asked to approve a plan to deliver almost £17 million of the Government’s funding to address a host of challenges in North Yorkshire, from a lack of broadband coverage to poor rural transport links.
North Yorkshire has been allocated £16.9 million over three years from the Shared Prosperity Fund, which was established in the wake of Brexit to replace money that would have been secured from the European Union.
In July, the County Council submitted a high-level investment plan for how it intends to spend the funding. The Government’s response is awaited, but on Tuesday 25th October, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive will be asked to approve a framework setting out how the investment will be delivered and to approve ongoing planning for the first year’s spending.
The County Council, the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership and seven district and borough councils have worked closely on the project, which from April 1st next year will be administered by the new single North Yorkshire Council, which will replace the eight current councils.
A Local Partnership Group brought together local, regional and national organisations to develop the investment plan. The work identified numerous challenges and opportunities to address them. Challenges range from rural transport and digital connectivity to access to education and training, the affordability and availability of housing and the cost of living crisis.
The delivery framework filters this into five areas for action: addressing issues caused by rurality and tackling inequality; building pride in our places; decarbonising our communities and economy; boosting productivity; and tackling the challenging labour market.
The leader of North Yorkshire County Council, Cllr Carl Les, who chairs the partnership, said: “Our aim is to build on people’s pride in their communities and to increase the opportunities available to residents and businesses.
“Our plan focuses on enabling communities to create the foundations for their own economic development, supporting businesses to thrive, innovate and grow and helping to reduce the barriers people of any age could face in entering and progressing in work and education.”
In September, North Yorkshire was allocated an additional £5,417,000 from the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs’ Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF).
The REPF is linked to the Shared Prosperity Fund and targets rural communities. To access the funds, the County Council must submit an addendum to its Shared Prosperity Fund investment plan by the end of November to outline the rural issues faced by communities and businesses and set out how the funding could be used.
Cllr Les added: “This additional funding is very welcome at a time when local government finances and budgeting have never been under such pressure. Together with the £16.9 million from the Shared Prosperity Fund, it will support valuable work to enhance and improve our communities.”
Further information regarding how organisations can bid for both Shared Prosperity and Rural England Prosperity Funds funding will be issued in the next few weeks.