Levelling Up The Forest of Dean

The Forest of Dean has been awarded £20 million from the Government’s Levelling Up fund.

The successful bid is a huge achievement involving partnership between Hartpury University as well as Cinderford Town Council and the District Council, liaising with my office and I throughout the process.

I’ve been pleased to do my bit in helping to deliver this money, personally meeting with Ministers including Rishi Sunak, the then Chancellor, over many months to persuade them that this project is 100% worth the investment. I’m delighted it paid off.

It’s an ambitious, exciting project that will deliver a new leisure & community hub at Five Acres, Coleford and a new Innovation, Careers and Enterprise Learning Centre at Hartpury University & College, as well as a regeneration of Cinderford Town Centre.

Good progress on all three portions of the project has already been made and I have been taking a keen interest in how it is getting on, paying a number of visits to view work on the sites and attending quarterly meetings with Forest of Dean Levelling Up Fund Programme Board.

News

Budget 2021 Benefits The Forest of Dean

Throughout the pandemic, I have been in regular contact with local businesses across the Forest of Dean – visiting them in person (when such a thing was allowed) or meeting them virtually over video calls.

Levelling up opportunity

The Government is more committed than ever to levelling up opportunity for the next generation in every part of the UK.
Schools are already benefiting from a £2.6bn increase in funding this year, which will rise to £4.8bn in 2021-22 and £7.1bn in 2022-23, compared to 2019-20.