Rebecca Pow MP has welcomed just under £20 million in new funding for Somerset Council as part of the latest round of Levelling Up Funding to deliver the Vision for Tonedale project.
The project was drawn from the impressive pool of bids which narrowly missed out in the second round of funding, but were assessed as high-quality and able to deliver quickly for local people.
In total, the third round of the Levelling Up Fund has awarded nearly £1 billion to 55 projects across the country, including £150 million to develop better transport links across the country and £825 million to kick-start regeneration in town centres.
This builds on the £3.8 billion that has already been awarded to 216 projects across the first two rounds of the Levelling Up Fund, helping to drive prosperity and pride in place in communities across the UK.
The latest Levelling Up Funding follows the £1 billion Long-Term Plan for Towns announced last month to empower communities and help revive high streets, tackle anti-social behaviour, improve transport and grow the local economy.
The commitment also follows other initiatives designed to support towns, including driving economic growth in 101 areas through the Towns Fund, and the £1 billion Future High Streets Fund, which is creating thriving high streets.
The Government is taking the long-term decisions for a brighter future for people across the country by transforming places that have been overlooked for too long, spreading opportunity and growing our economy.
Local MP Rebecca Pow said:
“I am absolutely thrilled that the Government have just announced that nearly £20 million has been provisionally awarded for our application to the Levelling up Fund for Tonedale.
This ambitious plan will restore and save a nationally important heritage site; which is also a much-loved historic landmark. I was disappointed at the beginning of this year that the application was unsuccessful in a previous funding round and I have been engaging with Ministers since then, making the case for this much needed investment.
I am so pleased that this has been addressed today with this announcement, bringing with it a range of economic opportunities. This is a perfect demonstration that the Government is fully committed to levelling up all parts of the country, including the South West. Coming hot on the heels of the Wellington Rail station announcement; and my local campaign to complete the restoration of the Wellington Monument, this will be another huge boost to the town.”
Commenting, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said:
“Levelling up means delivering local people’s priorities and bringing transformational change in communities that have, for too long, been overlooked and undervalued.
“Today we are backing 55 projects across the UK with £1 billion to create new jobs and opportunities, power economic growth, and revitalise local areas.
“This funding sits alongside our wider initiatives to spread growth, through devolving more money and power out of Westminster to towns and cities, putting in place bespoke interventions to places that need it most, and our Long-Term Plan for Towns.”
