Funding for the project has been secured from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund which is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK by investing in communities and place, supporting local business and providing opportunities to boost people and skills. 

The development of the frontage primarily involves plans to improve the area in front of the town hall by reconfiguring the current space by removing the existing railing to avoid clutter. The square will be designed as an extension of the existing green landscaped lawn with raised seating, with a particular focus on making the miners’ memorial wheel more prominent.

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Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has welcomed the announcement that funding of up to £3.4m is set to be invested in increasing life chances for residents and helping to build pride in place.

UK Shared Prosperity Funding (UKSPF) of £416,133 has been confirmed for 2022/23 alongside indicative settlements up to March 2025 which would bring the total to £3,428,937.

A local UKSPF Board has been set up in the Moorlands to determine a delivery plan and agree timescales for areas of investment across the District. The Board will meet early in the New Year and more details will be made available following that meeting.

Councillor Keith Flunder, Cabinet Member with responsibility for regeneration and business support, said: “This is very welcome investment in our District – it’s great news for local businesses who want to grow and thrive and residents who feel they would benefit from opportunities to develop and improve their lives through work or learning new skills.

“We now need to ensure that this funding is spent in ways that empower them to make the most of their chances and to ensure the Moorlands remains a place that we can all be proud of living and working in.

“We’ve established a Board to make sure this funding is invested to best effect. It meets for the first time in the coming weeks and I look forward to being able to share more details of our plans in the New Year.”

The total amount the Moorlands will receive over the next three years is subject to Government approval of the Council’s governance arrangements for distributing the funding which is expected before Christmas.

As energy price rises take effect, grant-funded schemes to help home owners and private renters improve energy efficiency and reduce bills are available in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

The District Council is working in partnership with the County Council and Beat the Cold on the Staffordshire Warmer Homes scheme to help residents heat their homes for less using greener and more energy efficient solutions.

The grants can be used to fund loft or cavity wall insulations, solar panels, air source heat pumps and other measures to improve energy efficiency.

The funding is for households who:

• Earn under £31,000 per household
• Claim a means tested benefit

Cabinet Member for Communities, Councillor Ross Ward, said: “These schemes can make a real difference in making our homes warmer and – as importantly – reducing the amount of energy we use which will help bring bills down.

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With winter approaching, and as the cost of living and energy price hikes continue, households across the Moorlands will be thinking about how to manage their budgets over the coming months.

Advice and support is available to help people with rising costs, managing debt,  energy efficiency and schemes to help keep homes warm.

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has published a cost of living hub to bring together information about these schemes to make it easy for residents to find what they’re looking for – www.staffsmoorlands.gov.uk/CostOfLivingHub

Councillor Ross Ward, Cabinet member for Communities, said: “Increasing food and other living costs means balancing budgets will be concerning for many of us as we enter the colder months of the year.

“Support is on offer to help households, and we want to ensure people are aware of what they can access, so we’ve created this hub on our website to assist by bringing together information about several schemes in a single place.

“The hub includes links to local support, including help with rent and council tax, alongside national initiatives, such as the cost of living payment and other help for households, and tips on how to look after your mental health.

“If you’re worried about managing your finances, please take a look at all this information and make sure you’re getting all the help that you’re entitled to.”