£2.8m Blackpool bid for community schemes including in Waterloo and Claremont

Blackpool is bidding for almost £2.8m of government funding to support projects in the town including regeneration plans for Waterloo in South Shore and Claremont in North Shore.
By Shelagh Parkinson
Published 14th Jul 2021, 09:26 BST
Updated 14th Jul 2021, 09:28 BST
Town Hall chiefs are bidding for £2.8m from the Community Renewal FundTown Hall chiefs are bidding for £2.8m from the Community Renewal Fund
Town Hall chiefs are bidding for £2.8m from the Community Renewal Fund

A total of 12 schemes are included in the submission for a share of the Community Renewal Fund (CRF) announced in March this year.

The final list had to be pared down after 27 applications totalling £7.4m were received by the council seeking to be part of the bid.

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A council report said the oversubscription meant “many projects would be disappointed” but some would be eligible for money through the much larger Shared Prosperity Fund to be announced later this year,.

But the bid does include a £165,000 scheme to deliver a feasability study into the “regeneration of the deprived Waterloo ward, determining local needs, the priorities for intervention and potential solutions”.

This would be aimed at supporting “commercial and residential development as well as greening and the creation of safe community spaces.”

Also included is a bid for around £250,000 towards developing ideas for an ‘Our Clarement’ masterplan focused on the development of Egerton Square.

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It would provide details of landowners, leases, development costs and funding opportunities while considering partnerships with the council, businesses and other organisations.

The CRF bid is divided into four themes, with the biggest bulk of funding being sought to support people into employment.

This includes £504,000 for Blackpool Pathways to Employment run by the Citizens Advice Bureau, £444,000 for the Blackpool Youth Hub (Blackpool Council) and £125,000 for Ready to Work (Inspira).

The Investment in Skills category includes £113,000 for Let’s Get Digital (Blackpool and the Fylde College), £500,000 for Skills for Work 2021/22 post Covid 19 (North West Skills Agency), and £100,000 for Pathways For All (Right to Succeed).

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Investment for local businesses sees funding sought to kickstart new ideas with a bid for £180,000 for Piloting Placed-based Innovation Catalysts (Lancaster University) and £99,000 for Create to Innovate (UCLAN).

Investment in Communities includes the Waterloo and Claremont bids, along with £190,000 for a feasability study into a Central Library/Grundy Art Gallery cultural hub (Blackpool Council), and £13,000 for a Digital Museum and Archives feasability study (UCLAN).

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Related topics:BlackpoolBlackpool Council