Communities and businesses in West Lindsey to receive £2.7 million investment

West Lindsey District Council is investing £2.7m into businesses and communities across the area

Much of this funding will be available through two flagship grant schemes and the council is working with the Government to launch the schemes by April 2023.

This announcement comes hot on the heels of the submission of plans to support rural community infrastructure and connectivity and rural businesses in the West Lindsey district through the investment of just under £800,000 as part of the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF).

In order to access the REPF, the council has been asked to identify activities that concurrently match the objectives of the fund and address local rural business and community challenges.

Four specific interventions have been selected for Government approval by the council including supporting non-agricultural farm diversification, for example, the conversion of a redundant farm building into a holiday let, supporting the development of West Lindsey’s Agri-Tech sector, such as the procurement of a 3D printer to develop concept models, improved community broadband provision and rural connectivity, for example the installation or upgrade of WiFi in a village hall or pub, and, improving rural community infrastructure such as the procurement of equipment to deliver a community service.

Coun Owen Bierley, leader of West Lindsey District Council, said: “We’re delighted to finally hear that our plans for UKSPF have been supported by Government and I am confident that our communities and businesses will soon start to see the benefits.

“REPF now provides us with an excellent, locally-led opportunity to build on the impact of the wider interventions proposed in our UKSPF Investment Plan, supporting specific activities that have often missed out on accessible funding historically.

"Like UKSPF, the interventions have been identified based on evidence of local need and following highly positive stakeholder engagement and we look forward to working with them on shaping delivery and launching the schemes next spring.”