The Government Rural England Prosperity Fund is an England-wide fund is a new £110million, two-year capital fund from DEFRA complementary to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund run by the Department of Levelling Up Housing and Communities. It is a top up for eligible authorities, such as Wealden District Council, which have already submitted an investment plan for UKSPF, to address the extra needs of rural areas. This funding has given Wealden District Council to deliver a number of projects including:
Wealden Community Spaces Grants Programme
We are pleased to announce that Wealden District Council is delivering a new capital grants programme which will be able to support and enable partners to improve the natural environment such as ‘greening up’ of outside spaces and active travel initiatives. This includes improving local resilience against the impacts of climate change, accessing outdoors spaces and encouraging residents to walk and cycle more.
The council invited organisations such as Not for Profit Organisations and Town and Parish Councils to apply for grants between £1,000 and £5,000 for projects that will help benefit the residents of the Wealden district and improve/ enhance community green spaces. A total funding pot of £34,530 is available.
The grants programme is now closed. It is hoped that a further round of funding will be made available in 2024 to the amount of £103,590 and this will focus on the delivery of supporting community infrastructure, resilience, and the environment.
Future Plans for REPF
The REPF funds will also be supporting other projects across Wealden including a rural business grants scheme, EV charging points and a visitor wine trail.