St Edmundsbury has been awarded just under £5million in Government Growth Area funding after successfully bidding for cash to carry out improvements to the borough’s infrastructure.
The grant was announced yesterday at a meeting of the full council. The funding amounts to just over £2million for 2008/09, with a further £3million earmarked for 2009 – 2011.
St Edmundsbury submitted a bid earlier this autumn for £30 million in funding for the period leading up to 2011. The borough council has been invited by Housing and Planning Minister Yvette Cooper to make further bids, for the additional £25million in funding, to the Community Infrastructure Fund and from further Growth Area Funds in the spring.
Cllr Terry Clements, St Edmundsbury’s Cabinet member with responsibility for transport and planning, said:
“This is excellent news for St Edmundsbury. This funding will help us to plan for sustainable development in the borough as well as deliver much needed new infrastructure which will benefit everyone who lives, works and visits the borough. We will now sit down and prioritise exactly which projects will receive funding as well as preparing a further submission to the Community Infrastructure Fund.”
ENDS
Note to editors:
The Government asked the borough council to submit a bid for funding in August. The council’s bid was to fund infrastructure (such as new roads) so that land already identified for housing and jobs could be developed. It also sought funding for studies looking at the limitations of existing infrastructure and to guide where the development identified in the emerging East of England plan should go.
ISSUED BY LIZHEARNSHAW, COMMUNICATIONS UNIT, ST EDMUNDSBURY BOROUGH COUNCIL. Tel 01284 757033. liz.hearnshaw@stedsbc.gov.uk
