- Today Rother Valley MP Alexander Stafford urged Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council to put in a bid for the new Levelling Up Fund.
- The new £4.8bn fund is designed to support local developments.
- There is a £20m grant available for projects in Rother Valley as part of this fund.
Today Rother Valley MP Alexander Stafford urged Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) to put in a bid for the government’s new Levelling Up Fund, which was announced in the Chancellor’s Spring Budget Statement.
The government’s new £4.8 billion fund is designed to support local developments in three areas: high streets, transport and culture.
Alexander Stafford MP has written to RMBC CEO, Sharon Kemp, to urge the council to bid for the £20 million grant available for local projects in Rother Valley.
The first round of the Levelling Up fund is now open, and applications must be submitted by June 2021.
The application process to receive grant funding is competitive and it is vital all local representatives act together, and quickly, in order to submit a successful bid that focuses on regeneration and investment in Rother Valley’s town and village centres, namely local high streets.
Alexander Stafford MP is also asking Rother Valley residents to indicate which local projects they would most like to see benefit from the Levelling Up fund grants via this survey on his website: https://www.alexanderstafford.org.uk/form/levelling-up-rother-valley
Commenting, Alexander Stafford MP said:
“The Levelling Up Fund is a once in a generation opportunity and must be seized upon by the local authority, with support and backing from me, our parish councils and our local community.
“Our bid should focus on arresting the decline of our high streets and shopping areas in Rother Valley. We must make these attractive places to visit and shop once again. We do this by upgrading eyesore buildings and dated infrastructure, investing in secure community infrastructure and crime reduction, and bringing public services and safe community spaces into town centres.
“There is an up to £20 million pound grant available for Rother Valley and I want our communities to be first in line to get this. These funds can be used to improve our townscapes, landscapes, access to and the overall environmental quality of our high streets.
“We cannot let the people of Rother Valley miss out and I will do everything that I possibly can to enable Rother Valley to access this investment.”
