York to benefit from over £400,000 of Rural England Prosperity Fund funding
April 7, 2023
Communities across rural England are set to benefit from an extra £110m in local authority funding to support rural business and community groups, it has been announced today (7 April).
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.
York has been awarded £400,000.
The Rural Prosperity Fund is a rural top-up to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. It marks a change from previous bureaucratic and fragmented EU funds, allowing England to take back control of its own growth investment and giving local leaders a greater say in where funding is best spent.
Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said: “Driving investment in rural areas is a vital part of our vision for levelling up the country. The new Rural Prosperity Fund replaces the bureaucratic EU funding system – allowing us to work closely with local leaders to direct funding where it is most needed to close the rural productivity gap, create job opportunities and protect the English countryside. “This confirmed spending will allow local authorities to deliver on their plans to level up businesses and communities in rural areas from today, in line with their residents’ priorities.”
