West Berkshire Council to receive £1m in funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund

West Berkshire Council has been granted £1m in extra funding to invest in local schemes and infrastructure.

One project that the funding will go towards is the re-design of Newbury Wharf in order to create a public event space.

It will also go towards creating three junior football pitches and a cricket field in Purley-on-Thames and building a public art trail initiative across some of the district’s rural villages.

Other projects it will fund will be the recruitment of a new council officer to attract major private investments into West Berkshire and bespoke coaching and advice for local businesses through the Berkshire Growth Hub.

Leader of West Berkshire Council Lynne Doherty (Con, Newbury Speen) said: “It’s fantastic news that our plan has been approved by Government so we can now start investing this money into our communities and businesses across the district.

“Investing in infrastructure to grow the economy was one of our key priorities in the Council Strategy, this work helps us achieve that and bring forward some important projects that respond to local needs and have a great deal of support.”

West Berkshire Council’s plan was developed with input from residents and local businesses, and the council said it had to “strike a balance” between addressing a wide range of issues and providing enough funding to each project to have a real impact.

The council will receive the funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) following a plan it submitted in August.

The funding will be received over three annual instalments, the largest of which is worth 70 per cent and will be paid in 2024.

Work will start immediately, and the projects are expected to be completed in early 2025.