£1M funding grant is big news for Littleport
The money will be used to make improvements and create new employment opportunities
MAJOR BOOST: Both Littleport and Whittlesey will benefit from the recent meeting of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority vote (Image: Wikipedia)
Two Cambridgeshire towns have received a major boost to their finances following a recent Combined Authority Board vote.
The market town of Littleport was granted £1million, while Whittlesey in Fenland picked up almost half a million in the same meeting. The money will be used to support the local economy and facilitate improvements in both towns.
Proposed by Councillor Anna Smith, deputy mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who was chairing the Board, the members unanimously voted through the items.
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A total of £925,000 was granted for use by Littleport’s E-Space (North) business hub. Submitted by East Cambridgeshire District Council, which owns and manages the centre, the proposal aims to address the shortage of suitable workspace in Littleport to facilitate new direct and associated jobs.
The second Littleport project to benefit from £75,000 funding from the Capital Investment Fund was a 'grant pot' to be used by the district council. The money will be earmarked to smarten up buildings, improve energy efficiency and enhance frontages to spruce up Littleport’s town centre area.
Members also voted the market town of Whittlesey to receive £260,000 for a Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) to evidence the need for future public sector funding of the proposed Whittlesey Relief Road.
Initial reports have been commissioned and completed, and the funding will enable the project to progress to next stage in the process. The need for congestion relief was identified as a priority within the town’s Masterplan’s document.
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People in Whittlesey will also benefit from the award of additional £195,000 for the Whittlesey Town Projects. The proposal, from Fenland District Council, is split into four mini-projects to include improvements to community basketball, tennis and netball facilities, improvements to Whittlesey marketplace, a heritage Library display and improvements to the Manor Leisure Centre solar power system.
The above proposals, all received under the Combined Authority’s Market Towns Programme, were part of the ninth round of bids from district councils for projects to drive growth and regeneration.
The Board also approved the request from Fenland District Council to extend the completion date for the Fenland Market Town Parking Management project until December 31, 2025, enabling time for the traffic regulation order review, and for the works to be prepared and undertaken during favourable weather conditions.
More information about the funding can be found here.
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