Below is a copy of the letter John Penrose MP sent in support of the Community Renewal Fund bid.
I am writing to support for North Somerset Council’s Community Renewal Fund bid. This package of proposals should be transformational, so people and places across North Somerset can deliver higher levels of productivity and tackle disadvantage. This package of proposals provides a clear statement of the shared vision and ambition local partners have to help the area become an exemplary coastal location for businesses, residents and visitors. A significant proportion of the investment will be focused on Weston-super-Mare, which is comparable to other priority level 1 areas both in terms of its population size as well as the socio-economic challenges it faces. If the government does not take this into consideration when assessing bids there will be questions about parity of access to investment and support for some of the country’s most deprived communities.
The investment will support our local areas to pilot imaginative new approaches and programmes that unleash their potential, instil pride, and prepare them to take full advantage of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. North Somerset’s programme will deliver:
- Increased business resilience, bringing new products to market, increasing numbers of new start-ups (particularly in communities not typically represented in entrepreneurship), and using a voucher system to put money into the hands of businesses to buy the support they need to grow productivity.
- Employability and skills support for those most impacted by the pandemic – building on a locally grown established model of support located in accessible locations around North Somerset, this project will fill gaps in support for targeted groups, increase levels of employer engagement and ensure residents understand there is no wrong front door to accessing skills support in North Somerset.
- Placemaking feasibility and research work across North Somerset, building on the success in Weston and rolling the learning out to our other town centres. This project will engage local people in developing shared visions, aspirations and solutions for the places they live and work. As part of this proposal a series of decarbonisation studies will be commissioned to look at public sector estate and help the government work towards zero carbon targets.
- Research and testing of a series of community hubs across North Somerset, driven by community and mutual aid groups seeking space to bring services and support closer to local people.
North Somerset Council intends to use strong local partnerships, established networks and robust governance to ensure the projects selected for the final package complement each other, and add value locally and nationally in delivering the investment priorities. I hope you will approve this much needed investment in North Somerset’s communities, people and places.