Staffordshire businesses to get slice of £15m funding
Businesses in Staffordshire could receive a slice of £15 million worth of additional funding as part of a government project to boost regeneration.
Local Enterprise Partnerships for Staffordshire and Cannock Chase have been allocated an additional £15.4m to help create jobs and support businesses.
The latest funding brings the total amount of Government's Growth Deal funding to £97.7m for the area and Stoke on Trent.
Cannock Chase prospective Conservative MP Amanda Milling said: "This £15.4m of extra funding is fantastic news for local people in Cannock Chase and now decisions on how this money is spent are being made by local people who are best placed to ensure it makes a real difference."
She added: "Projects like the investment in improvements to Rugeley will help bring growth and prosperity to our area."
Plans for the regeneration of Rugeley including £100,000 improvements to the town centre will follow major flood defence work announced on January 29 as part of the £1.29m Growth Deal.
The flood defence scheme will see more than 100 existing homes and business premises protected by the construction of a 370-metre long embankment along Western Springs Road.
Growth Deals bring together government funding for investment in infrastructure, housing, and other projects and put it in a single pot which is then placed in the hands of local authorities and businesses to invest.
Miss Milling added: "The local Growth Deal will help local businesses create the jobs we need so more hardworking families can have the security of a regular pay packet, and will help equip our young people with the skills they need to get on in life,"
Prime Minister David Cameron added: "Giving local communities the power and the 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 ensure a recovery for all."
