UK Shared Prosperity Fund
Applications are now closed.
About the fund
Cotswold District Council has been awarded £1 million over 3 years from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). The funding is allocated as follows:
|
2022/23 |
2023/24 |
2024/25 |
|---|---|---|
|
£109,563 |
£219,127 |
£671,310 |
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus
The Council has submitted a ‘Local Investment Plan’ for the UKSPF, setting out how we propose to use the funding, which was approved in December 2022 meaning we can now proceed with projects.
The issues we’re looking to address
The UKSPF seeks to address a whole range of issues through a range of ‘interventions’ prescribed by the Government, from which local councils can choose. Cotswold District is looking to:
- Support town centres
- Improve open spaces, including through enhancing biodiversity
- Support communities to bring forward improvements to their local areas
- Encourage active travel, like cycling and walking
- Support projects which help to address the climate crisis, including helping make buildings more energy efficient and making sure the skills exist locally to do this work
- Create good quality, well-paid jobs for local people and help more businesses to start up and expand
- Bring more people into the labour market to tackle staff shortages
How decisions are made
We’ve already run an application process for each of the years of the UKSPF. The applications were assessed against the aims of the funds and our own local priorities. An Evaluation Panel, made up of people from inside and outside the Council, made the final recommendation to the Council on which projects to support. There may be a further opportunity to bid for any remaining funding. Please keep checking the website and the Council's social media channels.
UKSPF Year One Projects
The list of projects we are supporting through the UKSPF in Year One (2022/23 financial year) can be found below:
|
|
|
2022/23 Revenue |
2022/23 Capital |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Allocation |
£98,607 |
£10,956 |
£109,563 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4% admin |
4% administration |
£4,382 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Intervention |
|
|
|
|
|
Communities and Place |
|
|
|
|
|
Community and neighbourhood infrastructure |
Cotswold Friends Mens' Sheds |
£4,250 |
|
|
|
Community and neighbourhood infrastructure |
Northleach Green Ring |
£750 |
|
|
|
Community and neighbourhood infrastructure |
Crowdfund Cotswolds |
|
£3,000 |
|
|
Improving green spaces |
Wildflower planting of community spaces |
£8,500 |
|
|
|
Improving green spaces |
Chesterton Cemetery wildflower planting |
£9,370 |
|
|
|
Improving green spaces |
Crowdfund Cotswolds |
|
£3,000 |
|
|
Design and management of spaces to build out crime |
Argos alley, Cirencester |
£10,000 |
|
|
|
Design and management of spaces to build out crime |
Anti-littering and flytipping initiatives |
£10,400 |
|
|
|
Active travel |
Cirencester Walking & cycling map |
£1,500 |
|
|
|
Active travel |
Cycle Parking |
£2,955 |
|
|
|
Active travel |
Bourton to Kingham cycle route feasibility study |
£10,000 |
|
|
|
Impactful volunteering |
Clean and Green equipment |
|
£1,956 |
|
|
Impactful volunteering |
Crowdfund Cotswolds |
|
£3,000 |
|
|
Relevant feasibility studies |
Old Station feasibility study |
£16,500 |
|
|
|
Relevant feasibility studies |
Lechlade Public Realm |
£2,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Supporting Local Business |
|
|
|
|
|
Development and promotion of the visitor economy |
SoGlos campaign |
£3,000 |
|
|
|
Support to drive employment growth |
Farm491 additional offices |
£15,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
£98,607 |
£10,956 |
£109,563 |
UKSPF Year Two (2023/24) Projects
At its meeting in March 2023, the Council's Cabinet agreed to award £135,000 to Cirencester Growth Hub in 2023/24 and again in 2024/25 subject to satisfactory performance. The UKSPF Panel recommended approval of a number of projects for 2023/24 as per the link below, which were approved by the Council's Chief Executive in consultation with the Cabinet Member for the Economy and Transformation: https://meetings.cotswold.gov.uk/documents/s9170/UKSPF%20REPF%20ANNEX%20A%20Jan%2024.pdf
UKSPF Year Three (2024/25) Projects
The Council's Cabinet approved projects for 2024/25 at their meeting on 11 January 2024: https://meetings.cotswold.gov.uk/documents/s9171/UKSPF%20REPF%20ANNEX%20B%20Jan%2024.pdf
Moreton Show – Accessibility and Public Facilities Initiatives
The well-known Moreton Agricultural Show, which takes place in September each year has made some changes to improve the accessibility and public facilities at the event. The Council supported these measures with some funding from the Government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The show organisers have produced a report on their experience so that other event organisers can learn from it, which can be downloaded here.
Combined Accessibility Report Moreton Show TW DW RH TG - pdf - 1.49 Mb