Between 2022-2025, we led on the delivery of a 3-year UK Shared Prosperity Fund programme with £1m funding from Central Government. This programme has helped to deliver a wide range of projects all aimed at meeting at least one of the following three key investment themes:
- Community and place
- Supporting local business
- People and skills (in 2024 to 2025)
Some main successes of the programme include:
- Purchase of mobile CCTV cameras, which have been used areas of anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping across the borough.
- Running activities for young groups and clubs in areas of deprivation – that have supported over 1,200 young people.
- Setting out plans for our leisure facilities and delivery of subsequent works (including the installation of solar panels) to reduce their carbon footprint.
- Progressing plans for the regeneration of Tonbridge town centre to create a more attractive and successful heart to the town.
- Delivery of our Shopfront and Vacant Unit Improvement Scheme that supports our independent retailers and food and drink businesses – supporting 36 organisations.
- Delivery of our Green Business Grant Scheme to help our local businesses with investments to reduce carbon emissions – supporting 19 organisations.
- Delivery of our Community Development Grant Scheme to help support local community groups deliver activities for borough residents – supporting over 60 organisations.
- Establishment of a new West Kent Business Support Programme to support small and start-up businesses across Tonbridge and Malling, Sevenoaks district and Tunbridge Wells borough that has supported over 1,000 businesses.
- Installation of a pilot bee-friendly bus shelter on Quarry Hill Road in Tonbridge.
- Improvements to 19 car parks across the borough through the installation of new LED lighting.
- Launching of Green Retrofit Courses in partnership with Mid Kent College to support trades businesses.
At the end of this programme, 100% of the allocated funding had been spent delivering positive benefits for the local community and businesses in the borough.
In December 2024, we were allocated an additional £327,000 to extend the UK Shared Prosperity Fund programme into 2025/26. On 04 March 2025, Cabinet approved the proposed programme which includes continuing a number of the successful initiatives delivered during 2022-25.
Rural England Prosperity Fund
In May 2023, we were informed by government that it had been successful in applying to the Rural England Prosperity Fund. In total, the we received £447,450 over two years to support rural businesses and communities. Using this funding allocation, we partnered with Sevenoaks District Council and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council to set up the West Kent Rural Grants Scheme, and allocated the full amount of funding for the borough to 39 rural projects. By the end of the two year programme, over 95% of the funding had been spent. In March 2025, DEFRA announced that it will be continuing the Rural England Prosperity Fund for an additional year, with the Council agreeing to use its allocation for further rounds of the West Kent Rural Grant Scheme. It is currently expected that this scheme will open up again in May 2025.
