The funding will be invested in projects that will boost productivity and create rural job opportunities. These could include farm businesses looking to diversify by opening a farm shop, wedding venue or tourism facilities or improvements to village halls, pubs and other rural hubs for community uses.
Investment will be based on local priorities and support investment in projects such as grants for:
- Converting farm buildings to other business uses
- Rural tourism, such as investments in visitor accommodation
- Capital grants for provision of gigabit-capable digital infrastructure at hubs such as village halls, pubs and post offices for community use
- Capital grants to develop, restore or refurbish local natural, cultural and heritage assets and sites
- Creation of new footpaths and cycle paths, particularly in areas of health need, or capital grants to enable people to develop volunteering and social action projects locally
The Rural England Prosperity Fund worth up to £110 million will be delivered by eligible local authorities and give local leaders a greater say in investment than they previously had under EU schemes. It will be in addition to the £2.6 billion allocated via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) to support levelling up across the UK. The fund will be part of the UKSPF and is a rural top-up for eligible local authorities.
Lord Benyon, Minister for Rural Affairs, said the government is addressing the rural productivity gap, levelling up opportunities and outcomes, and looking after the rural areas and countryside that so many of us are proud to call home.
As well as the ongoing work to recruit 20,000 more police officers across the whole country.
Rural proofing — the process by which government ensures the needs of rural communities are met in government policymaking — has also been supported with the development of new guidance and training for civil servants. Work will also continue in developing the role that the Levelling Up Advisory Council can play in offering specific insights into the design and delivery of levelling up in rural areas.
