“By making the most of every pound of investment, we can achieve our shared ambition of giving every part of the country the chance to flourish.”
Responding to the announcement of the prospectus and funding allocations for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Multiply adult numeracy programme, Cllr Kevin Bentley, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s People and Places Board, said:
“Councils are uniquely placed to plan ahead for the post-pandemic challenges we face and to invest in their areas, which these programmes provides certainty for. It is therefore good that they have been put at the heart of delivering the UKSPF and Multiply, something which we have long been calling for.
“This will build on work already underway to level up opportunities and spread prosperity, including to ensure Multiply helps more people gain skills to enter and progress in work and that UKSPF creates jobs, supports small and medium-sized businesses, develops rural economies, invests in critical infrastructure and boosts inclusive growth.
“Local areas need maximum flexibility to design their investment plans that targets local priorities and in the longer-term, council leaders want to work with government to ensure greater stability and long term support for this funding stream to ensure it provides the longevity and quantum of the European funding it has replaced.
“By making the most of every pound of investment, we can achieve our shared ambition of giving every part of the country the chance to flourish.”