Combined Authority funding for market town projects and Covid bounceback plans

Combined Authority funding for market town projects and Covid bounceback plans

Huntingdonshire District Council has received capital funding from the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority to support the economic growth of market towns Huntingdon, Ramsey and St Ives through a series of individual improvement projects, in light of the impacts Covid-19 has had on high streets and town centres.  

Applicants for the Combined Authority grants, including Huntingdonshire District Council and partner agencies, were asked to set out how project proposals for towns across Cambridgeshire would respond to the challenge of Covid-19 recovery and help transform the high street, enabling them to be fit for the future. 

Projects include: 

• Electrical vehicle charging points 
• Provision of cycle storage and repair facilities  
• Town heritage walks 
• Improved public toilets, signage and street furniture 
• Covid-19 specific interventions such as the piloting of parklets 
• The acquisition of a redundant building in Ramsey and the creation of new civic space 

James Palmer, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough said: 

“We’ve put millions into market towns across the county. Huntingdon, St Ives and Ramsey are the very soul of Huntingdonshire and I’m delighted the Combined Authority is investing in their plans for recovery and regeneration. They’ve come up with brilliant innovations that are people-centred, climate-friendly, and look to the future. They rethink public space for greater community wellbeing and embrace the active and low carbon travel that we want to see at the heart of growth that is both good and green.” 

Huntingdonshire District Council will put in team resources and project management to bring the schemes to life for residents of the three towns. 

Executive Leader of the Council, Councillor Ryan Fuller:  

“In conjunction with the three Town Councils HDC has made submissions to the Combined Authority comprising of 16 projects totalling £2.2 million, which the Combined Authority board approved.  

Work is also underway so that these interventions will be enhanced through a range of other projects including support for economic development, the application of digital technology and practical and creative support to help our town centres recover from the effects of the pandemic.”