EVESHAM looks set to become the heart of agricultural business in Worcestershire thanks to a £7million cash injection into the county.
The Government has pumped an extra £7.2million to expand the current Growth Deal with Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership and Evesham Vale Park will be at the forefront of the funding.
A total of 20 acres of business park and employment land with an agri-tech focus has been planned for the town’s site.
Funding comes in addition to the £47million committed by the Government in July last year. The LEP, which runs from 2015
to 2021, is expected to create 4,000 new jobs, build 1,200 new homes and generate £100million in public and private sector
investment.
Coun Simon Geraghty, deputy chair of Worcestershire County Council and LEP board member, said: “The schemes which have been awarded funding will benefit Worcestershire’s economy for years to come.
“The business growth grants build on successes we have seen through schemes such as the Worcestershire Expansion Programme and the skills capital fund will bring significant improvements to educational buildings and facilities.
“The funding will also open up commercial developments by improving infrastructure with a particular focus on sites such as the Vale Park which is great news for Worcestershire.”
Further projects throughout the county to benefit are the Worcestershire Parkway Station, Worcester Tech Park, Malvern Hills Science Park and the Southern Link Road.
An agreement was reached with the Government with all 39 LEP’s nationwide and a further £1billion was injected to improve Growth Deals stuck up last year.
Prime Minister David Cameron said: “Giving local communities the power and money to unlock growth and development and make the spending decisions that work for them is a key part of our long-term economic plan to secure a brighter future for
Britain and ensure recovery for all.
“This is happening right here in Worcestershire, with more money announced for key projects to boost the local economy as part of the multi-million pound expansion of the Government’s Growth Deals.
