Priority projects outlined

Mayor Dave Hodgson has, ahead of tonight's Council Meeting that will consider the Council's Budget, outlined details of the four priority projects that will each receive £441,000 to be spent by the end of January 2023.

The four Priority Projects are the Climate Change Fund, the Environment and Street Scene Fund, Town Centre Fund and Youth Empowerment Fund.

The Climate Change Fund represents the commitment of the Borough Council to tackling carbon emissions and that of The Council reducing its own carbon emissions to become carbon neutral by 2030. The Climate Change Fund will be used to promote carbon reduction across the Borough and can be allocated to projects to assist the council reach carbon neutral. The Mayor's Climate Change Fund previously had a tremendous impact on 54 projects over 40 different sites including schools, village halls and community centres, churches and a theatre all facilitating the delivery of measures which reduced impact on the environment.

The Environment and Street Scene Fund will be used for measures which protect and enhance open spaces, highways and the public realm in general. Measures supported will be designed to help ensure the public realm in local neighbourhoods is maintained to a good standard.

The new Town Centres Fund will help fund initiatives, such as public events and activities, which will attract people to Bedford town centre and encourage additional visitors. The initiative will be additional and complementary to the range of services, goods and attractions offered by the town centre's traders. The Town Centres Fund is open to the third sector, residents, businesses and the Council to bid or propose projects to benefit footfall in the town centres and the overall vision of a vibrant, accessible, green, diverse town centre of markets, retails, heritage, history and culture.

The Youth Empowerment Fund will support local initiatives operated by the third sector to enable children and young people to develop and expand their skills and experiences. Funding will be used to support initiatives taking place in local communities which can demonstrate a positive impact for children and young people. The Youth Empowerment Fund is open to voluntary organisations to bid into.