Some £1.8million is to be spent across Trafford on town centres, boosting green spaces and promoting 'active travel' like cycling. Cash will also be spent on community festivals and 'creative spaces' and 'talent development' as well as 'public health through art'.
A Trafford Heritage Programme will also be delivered to foster deeper engagement with local history. Details of the funding was given by Coun Liz Patel, Trafford's executive member for economy and regeneration at an executive committee meeting.
A total of £94,500 of the cash is to be spent creating a 'social value coordinator to manage, deliver and monitor Trafford's Social Value Charter and action plan - delivering a 'brokerage service' between businesses and voluntary groups.
READ MORE: Massive police cordon amid stabbing with major road and M60 slip lane closed
An 'inclusive and vibrant town centres investment plan' will account for £626,863 of the money to ensure they are inclusive with an improved offer for all groups that boost footfall, spend and visitor numbers.
The will be marketing and promotion and a night-time economy audit and action plan will be commissioned.
The measures are:
- £249,000 to be be spent on 'greening' Trafford Park - supporting moves to create 'green vibrant spaces', reducing emissions and improve the general environment of the area.
- £259,000 on an Active Trafford project for which pathways will be cleared linked to areas of high deprivation and health inequalities into walking and cycling infrastructure.
- £165,000 on a cycling hub where a leisure centre will become the focus of active travel.
- £199,606 on Creative Trafford and will comprise three linked elements which will see the delivery of a talent development programme.
- £42,072 on public health through art where artwork will be created in a number of locations throughout the borough and educational films will be made by local film-makers.
- £60,000 on a libraries community engagement programme
- £71,760 on Trafford heritage programme with an archives and local heritage exhibition programme.
The money is coming from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund which is a domestic pot aimed at replacing the European Structural Investment Funds - no longer available since Brexit.
Some £84m has been allocated to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), which administers the distribution of funds to its 10 boroughs over the next three years.
However, the GMCA investment plan must first be approved by the Government and a response is expected to its submisssion soon.
The first tranche of funding is for 'communities and place' with the two remaining investment priorities of local business and people skills coming in years two and three respectively.
READ NEXT:
- Violent thug kicked, punched and strangled girlfriend saying he was sick of her "nagging" and she should wash his clothes and cook his tea
- Main road and M60 slip shut due to 'police incident'
- Mum slashed with 'zombie' knife by stranger on first night out after giving birth
- Manchester Airport bosses vow to put summer of chaos 'behind us
- Paramedics forced to pay '£6k-a-month for food and drinks van' as they queue hours outside hospitals unable to leave patients, staff say
