Dave Thomas: Funding schemes that will help business

Hope you all had a lovely Easter weekend and managed to dodge the rain showers and maybe get out and about seeing family. 

This week I am pleased to share some updates on funding we have received and are using to support our business community, as well as some great news of being allocated funding to support our community swimming pools.

It’s been one year since Torbay was allocated £1.76 million to spend on local investments through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Since then, we're proud to have launched 10 funded projects, delivered by different delivery partners. I have been glad to hear that these projects are making a real difference to people living in the Bay.

The funding, which is part of the UK Government’s Levelling Up agenda, was allocated with the aim of delivering three key objectives: support local businesses, boost career and education opportunities for local people, and create spaces for communities to enjoy, improving lives and strengthening businesses.

Through the fund, more than 130 Torbay businesses have received free business support which has helped them to launch new enterprises, expand or innovate.

Over £50,000 of the grant funding has been awarded to help businesses grow and launch new incentives and services. Over 2,500 tonnes of carbon has been saved by businesses via a carbon reduction support scheme.

Over £500,000 worth of business tourism contracts have also been secured for the Bay, helping to boost and strengthen our visitor economy.

And it’s not just businesses who have been impacted. Run by our delivery partner ECOE, the Energy Saving Torbay project has been helping residents save money and stay warm in their homes. They did this by offering free practical energy advice and support. Through this more than 300 people have been supported with their energy bills and over 70 homes have been visited, saving on average each household over £700 a year in energy bills. 

In some cases, people have received thousands of pounds in support and energy savings, benefitting from measures such as new energy-saving boilers and support to switch to cheaper energy tariffs.

Torbay’s special green places have also been improved thanks to this funding and the support of 200 local and dedicated volunteers. Repairs to the steps and access point at Watcombe beach were carried out by delivery partner Groundwork South which allowed the beach to reopen to the public last July. Working with volunteers from the local community, they also created a new green space at a disused car park in Melville, Torquay, and improved spaces in Westerland Valley and Parkfield House in Paignton.

It is really great to see how far and wide the UK Shared Prosperity Fund has reached and impacted so many different areas of Torbay. There will be another wave of UKSPF-funded projects being announced in a few weeks. This phase will be focussing on upskilling and education and I look forward to sharing with you the impact this part has.

The Council have also announced over the last week that two of our community swimming facilities will be receiving a significant boost for our community’s swimming facilities. Both Swim Torquay and Admiral Pool in Brixham are set to undergo transformative upgrades.

We have been awarded £108,500 from the government's Phase II Swimming Pool Support Fund to help Swim Torquay install Photovoltaic Panels and replace fluorescent lighting with LED Lighting. A further £61,170 has been awarded to Admiral Pool also for PhotoVoltaic panels and installation of metering and monitoring software.

The successful local bids for Phase II funds will help support our Torbay on the Move strategy, which supports and encourages those who live here in the Bay to be more active. This also helps keep our local swimming centres open and working towards a healthier, happier Torbay, creating an active culture.