£25m boost for Skegness welcomed

Artist's impression of one of the projects identified for Skegness by East Lindsey District Council in the Foreshore Masterplan, work on part of which is due to begin this autumn. It is now hoped more of the vision can be achieved.

Skegness is among 100 towns, including Boston, across England that will receive extra funding from the from the Stronger Towns Fund to boost opportunities across the country and ensure each town looks towards the future with renewed optimism.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Communities Secretary have invited both Boston and Skegness to develop ambitious and innovative plans to boost the local economy.

The plans will receive up to £25 million of the Prime Minister’s £3.6 billion Stronger Towns Fund, which will ensure that towns are getting the improved transport and broadband connectivity that they need to create more jobs.

The announcement by East Lindsey District Council came as Skegness Town Councillor Billy Brookes tabled a motion to invite Mr Johnson to Skegness to see the issues facing the coast and provide more investment.

Councillors decided to wait to see if there was going to be a General Election before moving forward on this, but Coun Brookes said he was delighted to hear about the investment.

He said: "This is fantastic news for the town which could help us improve our tourist offer and allow us to continue to thrive.

"I would like to see the Skegness illuminations back to a good standard and the streets lights put back on all night - as the Mayor (Coun Mark Dannatt) says, we are Skeg Vegas and we should be lit up.

Coun Billy Brookes of Skegness Town Council has welcomed the 25m funding.

"The fiunding will continue to ensure that Skegness receives the best, of which it deserves."

Coun Craig Leyland, Leader of East Lindsey District Council, commented, “I’m delighted to see the Government announce this substantial amount of funding for our District. The Government’s announcement indicates that we could receive up to £25m for [Skegness] and this level of investment will allow us to explore some exciting projects, providing a real long term boost to the economy of the area and hopefully helping us to address the seasonal nature of [the town].”

East Lindsey District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Coastal Economy, Coun Steve Kirk, added, “The announcement of this funding is fantastic. We already have some fantastic projects underway in Skegness as identified in our Foreshore Masterplan and hopefully this funding means we’ll be able to deliver on even more of these.”

The funding has also been welcomed by Boston and Skegness MP Matt Warman.

Mr Warman commented, “I am delighted that both Boston and Skegness will each receive a share of the £3.6 billion Stronger Towns Fund, and that local business and community leaders can develop proposals that will genuinely regenerate the community here. This is the culmination of much hard work by Boston Borough and East Lindsey District Councils, and it is excellent news that the Government has recognised that investment can unlock potential in our towns. I look forward to supporting ongoing work to develop local plans that will bring a great financial boost to the area.”

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick MP said, “Ensuring that prosperity and opportunities are available to everyone in this country, not just those in London or our biggest cities, is at the heart of the mission of this government. We want to level-up our great towns, raising living standards and ensuring they can thrive with transformative investment in transport, technology, skills and culture. I will now work with local people from the 100 communities announced today to agree proposals to invest up to £25 million in each place. I hope these deals will provide the investment and the impetus for long-term renewal ensuring each town can look to the future with a new optimism”.