Lancashire wins £34m to better build the economy after coronavirus

Steve Fogg, chairman of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership said: “I am delighted Lancashire has managed to secure £34.1m to help drive economic growth in the county.

“The ‘Getting Building Better Fund’ is part of the Government’s drive to minimise the potentially devastating effect on the economy due to the Covid-19 crisis.

"Money received from this fund will be invested in projects which will create jobs and invest in much needed infrastructure improvements, helping the county recover and bounce back quicker from the pandemic.’’

He said that working closely with all Lancashire local authorities, Sarah Kemp, the chief executive of the LEP and her team, over the past couple of weeks a long list of projects across the county had been identified, which could start almost immediately, be completed within 18 months and which could deliver jobs and green recovery.

He added: “The fact that Lancashire has managed to secure a significant amount of funding is testament to the collaborative working between the LEP and its partners to work to together to help protect Lancashire’s businesses and the livelihoods of our residents.

‘’We will continue to work with partners as we begin negotiations with Government to determine which projects will receive funding based on their ability to accelerate growth and create employment.

"Each day we are hearing of failing businesses and people losing their jobs. However we are also hearing of businesses which have diversified and shown extreme resilience. Clearly this money alone will not be enough but it will be a positive start.’’