Further to the recent news from Conservative Isle of Wight MP Andrew Turner’s office that 28 out of 39 wards on the Isle of Wight have been approved for Assisted Area Status, South East MEP, adds her comments.
Readers may remember that Catherine Bearder visited the Isle of Wight back in April 2013 to speak with local groups and councillors about Assisted Area Status (AAS).
Catherine said,
“I’m delighted for the Island – this is a victory for all the people who’ve worked so hard on this.
“There is no doubt assisted area status will provide much help and investment, stimulate growth and create hundreds of jobs. I very much look forward to seeing the results.”
Multi-million pound funding opportunities
Assisted Area Status for the Island could result in millions of pounds of funding now the wards have been approved by the European Commission.
Catherine’s office advised:
Catherine strongly and consistently made the case for the Island, providing written submissions at all stages of the consultation.
She also raised the bid with Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Vince Cable, and the Minister in charge of this issue, Michael Fallon. She argued the case for the Island is overwhelming and it must be included in this scheme to allow it to access EU funding streams.
At the end of April this year the AAS map was finalised by the government and submitted to the Commission for its consideration; no amendments were made and all outlined areas, including 28 of the Isle of Wight’s 39 electoral wards, will receive funding.
Image: Liberal Democrats under CC BY 2.0
