Potential projects in North Kesteven need feedback to secure funding

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund has indicated it wishes to allocate £3.2 million to North Kesteven District Council for investing in North Kesteven on key priorities.

To access the funding a plan must first be approved by Government, and this is being assessed at that level following submission by NKDC in August.

To help begin preparations for the plan if funding is approved, a website by the council is at https://northkestevenukspf.commonplace.is/ and three initial projects from the plan have been uploaded there for feedback:

- Events programme expansion

Through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the council wishes to build on the success of the RiverLight Festival which took place in March and the Eventful Sleaford partnership, supporting the enhancement of established events, creating new ones and formalising a calendar which engages the whole community in activities. Your views are needed at https://northkestevenukspf.commonplace.is/ on what you would like to see incorporated into RiverLight and other wider events programmes.

- Social media training

Using the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the council is looking to introduce social media training to small and medium sized enterprises in North Kesteven. If you own or run a business in the district, help by indicating at https://northkestevenukspf.commonplace.is/ which areas of social media you would like the training to focus on.

- Handley monument improvements

The council hopes to redesign the public space around Handley monument to improve its setting, with an overall aim to make the area around the monument more appealing to pedestrians and enhance both the setting of the monument and its connection with the local population.

Your thoughts are needed at https://northkestevenukspf.commonplace.is/ on how the area around the monument and its history can be enhanced.

Council Leader Coun Richard Wright said: “The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is aimed at empowering places including North Kesteven and their communities to identify and build on their local strengths and needs, focus on pride in place and increase life chances for the people living there. It’s important we take this funding opportunity and through it ensure together that our places in North Kesteven remain utilised and useful for everyone in years to come.

“If approved for funding by Government, our UK Shared Prosperity Fund plan would focus on three key areas set out by the Fund which are communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. Our plan would also aim to meet five further and distinct challenges facing the district including Sleaford town centre economy and town environment, access, wellbeing and inclusion.

“While this is all at an early stage and we await approval on the plan and funding of it, we’re keen to get started and are seeking views now on these three initial projects. We’ll continue to share information as we move forward on all this.”

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund will provide £2.6 billion of new funding for local investment by March 2025, by allocating monies to local authorities for investing in their areas.

Residents can sign up for updates on the council’s UKSPF plan projects by entering their email address at https://northkestevenukspf.commonplace.is/.