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UK Shared Prosperity Fund

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