Maria Caulfield MP has welcomed over £4 million in government funding for five projects across her Lewes constituency including £1.2 million for a new Maritime & Sustainable Technology Hub in the UTC building in Newhaven.
The Lewes constituency was the only constituency in the country to have five projects receive funding.
Projects in the Lewes constituency that will be receiving funding are:
- Charleston Trust Access Road: removing the barrier to growth £89,293
- Creative Hub 4 Fisher Street Lewes £250,000
- Riding Sunbeams Solar Railways £2,527,500
- Sussex Innovation Falmer – Covid secure adaptations £200,000
- UTC Maritime & Sustainability Technology Hub £1,300,000
The five projects are part of a final list of 34 projects that will receive funding from the South East Local Enterprise Partnership’s (SELEP) £85 million share of the government’s new Getting Building Fund.
The new projects will deliver 9,167 new jobs and safeguard a further 3,341. There will be 7,234 new homes unlocked, over 50,000sq m in new commercial space unlocked and 8,663 new learners assisted through new skills facilities and programmes. These 34 projects will start quickly, and help catalyse economic recovery and renewal across East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock.
Government’s new £900 million Getting Building Fund has been created to invest in local infrastructure projects to drive economic growth in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. With an £85 million share, SELEP successfully secured the largest allocation for any LEP area in the UK. Maria Caulfield’s continued lobbying of her constituency led it to receive the highest number of successful projects in the country. The fund’s final project list was announced by Government alongside a further £360 million investment to deliver 26,000 new homes on brownfield land.
Maria Caulfield MP said “I am delighted that these projects across the Lewes constituency are to be supported by the government’s Getting Building Fund. We have so many fantastic things going on in the constituency and it is brilliant that we are the constituency with the highest number of projects to receive this government funding.”
“All five projects will be hugely beneficial to the local area and wider community, they thoroughly deserve this funding. The new training that will be provided at the UTC in Newhaven will further add to my continued efforts to regenerate Newhaven and help it reach its potential. Riding Sunbeams is a world-leading innovator, leading the way in decarbonising our railways to help tackle the climate emergency. Well done to everyone else involved in securing this cash for our local community.”
