Grantham to receive £5.56 million Government investment in High Street
- The Government has invested up to £830 million from the Future High Streets Fund across the country and we will benefit here in Lincolnshire
- Investment will support Grantham to recover from the pandemic and help transform our town centres into a vibrant place to live, work and shop.
- Comes on the back of the recently announced Government funding boost for the Savoy Cinema in Grantham too
In a major boost for our local high street, Grantham will receive a share of up to £830 million from the Future High Streets Fund. This Fund will be invested in 72 areas across England, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick announced today (26 December).
The funding will help our town transform the high street into a vibrant hub for future generations as well as protect and create new jobs.
In a key milestone for the Government’s levelling up agenda, this investment will help Grantham to recover from the pandemic while also driving long term growth. It will enable the delivery of ambitious regeneration plans and fund new local projects.
The funding will also help to protect and create thousands of jobs in our country in a range of industries, delivering opportunities and prosperity to communities across England.
This funding is part of wider support we’re providing to communities and businesses, to protect jobs, support the most vulnerable and ensure no one is left behind as we tackle the Covid-19 pandemic head on.
Grantham MP Gareth Davies said:
“This is wonderful news for Grantham, receiving £5.56 million to improve the vibrancy of our High Street making our town an even more attractive place to live, visit and shop. I have been campaigning hard for our town in Parliament and we all know what a tough time it has been for our retailers recently and so this is extremely welcome news for everyone here in Grantham.”
Communities Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said:
“The year ahead will be a big one for the high street as it seeks to recover, adapt and evolve as a result of the pandemic. Today’s £830 million investment from the Future High Streets Fund is one of many ways the Government is working to help our much-loved town centres get through this and prosper into the future.
“The role of high street has always evolved. We want to support that change and make sure that they are the beating heart of their local community – with high quality housing and leisure in addition to shops and restaurants.
“This investment will help us build back better and make town centres a more attractive place to live, work and visit.”
The Future High Streets Fund was launched in December 2018 and is a key part of the Government’s plan to renew and reshape town centres – making them a more attractive place to live, work and visit. £107 million of the Future High Streets Fund has been allocated to DCMS to support the regeneration of heritage high streets.
The Future High Streets Fund is just one of the ways the government is supporting the retail and hospitality sector. During the pandemic, we made it easier for areas to adapt to the challenges they faced. This included making it easier to demolish and rebuild unused buildings to create homes with our High Street Homes Permitted Development Rights; providing restaurants, pubs and cafes with the freedom to offer takeaway services; and making it easier for businesses and communities to host markets and stalls so customers can be served safely.
In May we launched a fund to help councils reopen high streets safely and we recently announced that retailers will be able to extend their opening hours over the festive period to help keep shoppers and staff safe.
This month we extended protections from the threat of eviction for businesses unable to pay their rent until March 2021, taking the duration of these measures to one year.
Our recent proposals for the new Parking Code of Practice will support shoppers visiting their local high street by introducing a tiered approach to private car parking fines and ensuring a fair appeals process.
We are also reviewing the provision of public toilets to ensure that there are appropriate facilities for visitors to town centres.
