A GOVERNMENT minister has praised the work done by two local partnerships to identify how £50m could be spent in the District. Both Shipley and Keighley were named as possible beneficiaries of the Government s Towns Fund in 2019. The Fund would see up to £25m given to each town to develop regeneration projects. A board made up of politicians, business leaders and community groups was formed in each town, and these groups submitted their bids to Government earlier this year. In a letter to Council Leader Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, Luke Hall – Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government, said confirmed that the government’s assessment process of the bids is continuing and decisions will be announced in due course.
RESIDENTS of Keighley and Shipley will soon get to find out what a £25m pot of cash for each town could be spent on - and will be asked if they agree with these priorities. Last year both towns were included on the Government s list of areas that will each benefit from the Towns Fund investment - aimed at regenerating often neglected areas and encouraging business growth and investment. For much of the year a Towns Fund board for each area has come together to look at how the money, designed to improve connectivity, land use, economic and cultural assets, skills and enterprise infrastructure in the towns, will be spent.