Gosport receives huge Government levelling up award
By Connor Steel
GOSPORT BOROUGH COUNCIL has been officially awarded a total of over £18 million in Government funding for the continuing project of ‘Reconnecting Historic Gosport Waterfront’; which is aiming to create the better connecting routes between the town centre and waterfront alongside development of the formal naval Rum Store at Royal Clarence Yard.
A total of £18, 117, 915 has been awarded under the Government’s dedicated ‘Levelling Up fund’; which was launched in 2021 in a bid to help local projects across the United Kingdom. And Gosport was named in an official announcement of fifty-five towns / cities that will benefit from round three, which adds up to the overall figure of over £1 billion in funds.
This funding will be used to improve connections such as walking routes between Gosport Town Centre and its historic waterfront; covering the 3km area between Priddys’ Hard and Haslar. It will also be used to renovate the core structure of the former Rum Store site which is said to provide almost 7000 square metres of extra commercial mixed use space.
Councillors have stated that the work will improve the quality of life for Gosport residents whilst further bringing in more visitors and business opportunities, which should boost social and economic prosperity. The extra space created by the Rum Store work will help to boost skilled marine employment within the Borough according to this online press release.
Dame Caroline Dinenage welcomed this news and said early on Monday afternoon: “I’m thrilled that Gosport has finally received the Levelling Up Funding it so desperately deserves to help reinvigorate our town, create jobs and also attract visitors to our area and help to realise our huge potential (in the borough). I was delighted to help support the Council’s Reconnecting Historic Gosport Waterfront Project and I look forward to working with them to move this (work) forward.”
A full quote from Council Leader Peter Chegwyn can be read online here, whilst more details about the project and the Government’s decision makings to award this funding can be fully explored via this website (under Technical Annex 5).
PICTURED BY GOSPORT BOROUGH COUNCIL: Fund will be used to develop former Rum Store site to extra space.
