Fourteen projects in the Westmorland and Furness Council area have been given the go-ahead by the authority’s cabinet.
The cash will be spent on schemes that are a priority for the new council – which looks after the Eden, South Lakes and Barrow areas – and all will be delivered by the end of March 2024.
Jonathan Brook, leader, said: “I’m delighted the cabinet has approved these projects today. There is a broad range on initiatives that we are backing, and we’ve focused on things that will make a real difference to local people as quickly as possible. These projects are a statement of intent and reflect our priorities as a new council.”
The projects are:
- A £500,000 welfare support top up fund to help people in need
- £300,000 to contribute to new ways of providing help to children and families
- A £500,000 youth education and training travel bursary scheme
- £80,000 to ensure no one is waiting too long for occupational therapy aids
- £50,000 for a pilot project using technology to deliver simple social care
- £80,000 to roll out a new training programme to ensure council staff who are supporting people are ‘trauma informed’
- £1m for local sustainable transport schemes, like cycling and walking routes and community transport, plus £150,000 for staff to support the delivery of schemes.
- £70,000 to fund a discount bus travel scheme for all five to 20-year-olds
- £300,000 to introduce 20mph zones where communities want them
- £500,000 for a new climate change and environment grant fund
- £440,000 to support biodiversity and nature regeneration
- £300,000 funding for three Locality Boards to spend on their own local priorities
- £250,000 to support cultural organisations manage the legacy of the pandemic and the cost of living
