Ludlow projects receive £350,000 funding boost

Under the programme £2.5m was made available to help provide an immediate boost to the county’s six largest market towns – and a total of £400,000 has been granted to Ludlow.

Since the programme was launched last September, Ludlow’s Shropshire Councillors have been working with the town council and local community to identify and prioritise projects that could apply for funding.

The first four successful applicants are:

· Ludlow College has been awarded £60,000 towards a Hospitality Training Kitchen, which will be in use from September 2011 and allow at least 15 young chefs to be trained each year and help them progress into local employment.

· Ludlow Assembly Rooms has been awarded £70,000 towards the refurbishment of the catering facilities, which will mean up to 48 catering students will gain work experience and 8 part-time posts will be created for the students.

· Ludlow Conference Centre has been awarded £100,000 to assist with the refurbishment and extension to the accommodation areas; a scheme which will see trainee doctors from Keele University live in Ludlow whilst on work placements with local GPs.

· Ludlow Town Council’s Ludlow Conservation Area Revitalisation Project has been awarded £120,000 towards a major scheme for the town: the first phase will be the renovation of the Buttercross to include an interpretation centre. Further phases of this project include repairing the towns walls, which will provide 80 job opportunities, preserving traditional skills and crafts and also enhancing the Castle Gardens.

£50,000 of the £400,000 is still to be allocated and further projects are currently being considered by councillors and Shropshire Council officers.

Councillors Rosanna Taylor-Smith, Martin Taylor-Smith and Tracey Huffer, said: “In addition to revitalising the town, these schemes will give a much-needed boost to the local economy, whilst at the same time creating new jobs as well as protecting existing employment.”

Councillor John Aitken, Mayor for Ludlow said: “The projects put forward for Market Towns Revitalisation funding are supported by the town council, which held consultation for the town and invited ideas on how the money could be spent. More than 20 proposals were made to the town council who, by democratic selection, then formally presented six projects to Shropshire Council.”

Councillor Mike Owen, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for economy and waste, said: “This funding was made available to demonstrate the council’s commitment to supporting and boosting our market towns. I’m delighted that the first funding has now been awarded to four projects which will provide a real boost to Ludlow.”

The first four successful applicants were named by Ludlow’s three Shropshire councillors at a special meeting of the Ludlow and Clee area Local Joint Committee on Wednesday 30 March 2011.

An update on the progress of these projects, and any others that may be allocated funding, will be given at the next Local Joint Committee meeting on 23 June 2011 at Oscars in Ludlow Assembly Rooms, starting at 7pm.

For more information about the Market Towns Revitalisation Programme, go to www.shropshire.gov.uk/markettowns.