Responding to the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund which will provide £50 million for councils in England to prepare for the safe reopening of high streets, Cllr Kevin Bentley, Chairman of the People and Places Board, said:
“Social distancing looks set to play some part in our everyday lives for some time to come and the scale of the challenge facing our local economies as a result of this pandemic cannot be under-estimated. This funding will help councils build on ongoing work to implement measures to help communities and high streets transition to our new way of life
“Councils also need a greater say in how remaining European Structural Investment Funds (ESIF) are spent. This is vital so they can target funding towards efforts to lead local areas and economies through this pandemic and readjust to life when it is over. It is essential that all funding is spent in our local communities and not sent back to Brussels when the ESIF programme ends.
“Councils and combined authorities also want to urgently work with the Government on its domestic replacement for EU funding, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. To help get the economy back on its feet after this crisis, it is more important than ever that it will at least be equal in value to the funding from the current ESIF with local areas able to spend it on creating jobs, supporting small and medium enterprises, delivering skills training and reigniting growth across the country.”
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