St Ives Town Deal has secured funding for the first of its regeneration projects.
As part of the government's plan for Levelling Up the UK economy, the Town Deal Fund aims to regenerate the towns and boost the local economy across the regions.
St Ives Community Orchard and Wildlife Reserve will begin building a new environmentally sustainable facility at the end of the month thanks to funding from the St Ives Town Deal Fund. It is the first of nine capital projects across the Cornwall town to start construction.
The Community Orchard team received £329k from the Town Deal Fund after an initial £14k last year for preparatory work for a new community facility on Penbeagle Hill. A final payment of £16k will follow in July.
Read more: Full £23.2m funding secured for Bridgwater Town Deal projects
St Ives is among 100 towns across the country successful in its bid for funding from the government’s Town Deal Fund. Following the review of the Town Investment Plan, the town was awarded £19.9m to support the proposed regeneration plans.
Gareth Jones, vice chairman of the St Ives Town Deal Board said: "This is great news – both for the St Ives Community Orchard and for the St Ives Town Deal programme. Since receiving confirmation of the government’s initial funding payment last September, everyone has been working very hard to get the contracts signed and the funding released to the nine projects as quickly as possible.
“St Ives Community Orchard is the first project to have its funding released, and we look forward to the remaining projects receiving their funding in the coming months.”
Based in a 30-acre Community Orchard and Nature Reserve site overlooking the town, the new building will deliver environmental education, workshops, skills training, nature-based training and community events to individuals, local groups and schools.
The project will also create new jobs and provide opportunities, according to the board, for local self-employed trainers to share their knowledge and skills as well as a space for meetings, community activities and a repair café.
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