The first set of successful bids for a slice of £24m Government funding has been announced.
Unfortunately the Isle of Wight council’s bid for £1m to help the Island’s tourism businesses was rejected.
John Metcalfe, deputy director for the economy and environment, said: “We submitted an application for a £1 million project to support the development of the Island’s tourism industry which would see us creating a grant aid scheme to allow businesses to invest in their own facilities – this would contribute to the Island’s overall appeal as a leading British holiday destination and create a number of new employment opportunities.
“We were disappointed not to be successful with the bid and are continuing to explore funding opportunities to support this project.
“The successful recent award of nearly £4 million from the government’s Department for Transport for green transport and tourism schemes on the Island demonstrates how we do pursue funding opportunities to benefit our holiday industry.”
Supporting seaside towns
The six schemes in England to receive funding from the Coastal Communities Fund include the first coastal tourism academy in Europe and a project to support sustainable lobster fishing.
When the Fund was launched earlier this year, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said, “Seaside towns and coastal communities have huge potential for economic growth that we simply can’t afford to waste – this fund can make all the difference to these places we all know and love.
“This is a great opportunity for long overlooked seaside towns, large and small, to grab a chance to grow through imaginative and innovative projects that create, skilled workers, and provide year round jobs that build stronger local economies.”
Image: Tax Brackets under CC BY 2.0
