Rutland County Council approves distribution of Levelling Up Fund money
Rutland County Councillors have approved the terms and conditions to manage, administer and implement the £23m of Levelling Up money for Rutland.
Speaking to members of the full council at their last meeting on Monday (March 27) before the local elections on 4 May, Rutland County Council’s director for places, Penny Sharp, said: “Following the announcement that our joint bid with Melton was successful, we have been able to take the next steps in the process which agrees the terms and conditions and begins to look at how we will implement the projects.
“This has now been agreed at council and we look forward to working with partners to begin LUF projects in both areas.”
Rutland and Melton succeeded with a joint bid to support economic development in both areas, and were awarded a sum of £23 million to be shared between them.
At the time of the announcement, their successful joint application was greeted with delight by Rutland and Melton MP Alicia Kearns (Con), who said: “I think we are all over the moon because this is a once in a generation amount of money, and it will transform Rutland.”
By agreeing this next step, Rutland County Council can now begin the process of working with partners to mobilise projects which focus on health innovation, sustainable transport and growing the county’s visitor economy.
Under the plans, Rutland will use £2 million of the funding to support investment in a digital visitor experience to view the large ichthyosaur 'sea dragon' discovered at Rutland Water and the remains of a 4th Century Roman villa with mosaic and create virtual models, storage and touring facilities, so that the finds can be shown.
Neither of these heritage assets can be displayed easily to the public.
Rutland Memorial Hospital will become home to a new £3.5 million medical research and innovation facility that will provide laboratory and light assembly space for clinical trials linked to the creation of new medical technology.
The facility would also serve as a professional development centre for clinicians working in the area, as well as a training base for medical students and nurses.
The training of health professionals in a rural county will help to address skills shortages that are contributing to health inequalities in areas like Rutland.
The facility will also be a community health-related hub, housing a café, health trainers and care workers.
Rutland’s LUF allocation will be used at the same Rutland Memorial Hospital site to create a new £6.5 million sustainable travel hub.
The hub will be supported by a demand responsive transport system, based on Rutland County Council’s bus service investment plan, and extended to cover the Melton area.
The travel hub will focus on two routes, which have been developed using evidence and analysis of Rutland’s transport network, with some further refinement needed. This service will help people to access work, learning and services more easily across the two market towns of Oakham and Melton.
In Melton, the funding will be used to support the development the town’s Stockyard site and theatre.
Members of the full council unanimously approved the distribution plans for the LUF projects.
