UP TO GBP200M EARMARKED FOR INNOVATIVE PROJECTS - SOUTH EAST.

(From Government News Network (Was Hermes-Government Press Releases))

] OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER 176 24 August 2005 UP TO GBP200M EARMARKED FOR INNOVATIVE PROJECTS TO BENEFIT COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE WIDER SOUTH EAST

Revitalising town centres; redeveloping a goods-yard to provide new homes; funding improvements to a leisure centre; providing theatre studio space and learning opportunities for young people, and enhancing an area of local woodland - these are just some of the projects that have been provisionally earmarked to win a share of up to GBP200m to develop new housing across the three newer growth areas, and to ensure that the right infrastructure and community facilities are in place to support those initiatives.

From nearly 400 Expressions of Interest, over 70 projects have been asked to submit fully worked up bids for funding. The deadline for bids is November and final decisions on which projects will receive Government money will be made in the early New Year, with the aim that projects will be up and running by April 2006. …