County collects £20 million for ‘shovel-ready’ building projects
LEICESTERSHIRE has collected £20 million from the Government’s new Getting Building fund to support infrastructure projects to help kick-start the flagging economy.
The money, given to the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP), is part of a £900 million national fund to aid the UK’s recovery from the economic impacts of Covid-19.
It comes after Boris Johnson announced what he called his “new deal” for the UK economy, with infrastructure projects at its centre.
The LLEP, which has dentified £90 million worth of potential projects, will decide where the money will be invested, in line with its key economic priorities.
The LLEP board said it would work closely with central government officials, considering both the economic needs of the region and the government’s criteria around deliverability and strategic objectives.
The programme wants to get projects off the ground as quickly as possible – which is why it asked for so-called “shovel-ready” schemes.
The final list of projects should be agreed by July 17.
LLEP chairman Kevin Harris said: “It’s great to see more investment in the vital infrastructure of Leicester and Leicestershire.
“I’m eager to start these discussions with my fellow LLEP board members, and our partners in local and national government.
“We have a wide range of excellent projects ready to go in our region, all of which are deserving of funding.
“Our decision-making process will therefore be very much focused on the projects that are the highest priority for our region, and will deliver the greatest return on investment for our £20 million allocation.
“In these Covid-19 dominated times, this investment in the future of our economy is welcome.
“Our over-arching aims will be to help get business moving again, to kick-start our economy and to increase prosperity for all who live and work in Leicester and Leicestershire.”