The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) announced on Good Friday, 7th April 2023, that communities across rural England are set to benefit from an extra £110 million in local authority funding to support rural business and community groups.
The Rural England Prosperity Fund is a rural top-up to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund which is £2.6 billion of new funding for local investment to support levelling up across the UK. It marks a change from European Union funds.
Eligible local authorities in England will receive the funding, which they can invest in initiatives such as farm diversification, projects to boost rural tourism, and community infrastructure projects including electric vehicle charging stations. The funding will also help people start up local businesses to supercharge growth and create employment opportunities for rural areas.
The confirmed allocations are spread right across the country, including over £5 million for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, £3m for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, over £3 million for North of Tyne, over £2.5 million for West Yorkshire, £2.5 million for Shropshire and almost £1 million for Cheshire East.
Across rural England, the money will be spent on two key areas:
1. Communities and place: projects to improve community facilities such as green spaces and boost access to arts and culture to grow local tourism economies, and
2. Supporting local business: projects to support agricultural businesses looking to expand their remit, and rural businesses looking to launch or grow their products and services.
The Rural England Prosperity Fund will allocate £110 million between 2023 and 2025. DEFRA is in contact with each of the eligible local authorities to confirm their allocated funding, and they can begin to deliver on their plans over the coming weeks.
The full press release is available on the GOV.UK website, while the list of allocations can be found on the DEFRA website.
