The Future High Streets Fund (FHSF) bid for St Neots is one step closer to becoming a reality after the Council’s Cabinet meeting on Thursday 13th February.

Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC) is building a comprehensive bid to Government for a share of the Future High Streets Fund, designed to  enable the redevelopment of several strategically chosen areas of St Neots town centre and bring change through multiple different projects to strengthen the economy of St Neots, attracting visitors, residents and businesses, while retaining the features that make it a strong and vibrant market town.

Executive Leader of the Council, Cllr Ryan Fuller, said: “St Neots is the perfect example of a town that could benefit from this Government funding scheme, and we are working hard to ensure that the proposals in the business case we produce  will meet the needs of existing and future residents  of St Neots.

“This bid process highlights our continued programme of investment into St Neots and is a further opportunity for Huntingdonshire District Council to help deliver positive improvements  to St Neots’ town centre.  . A successful bid into this competitive process to the Future High Streets Fund will allow us to capitalise on the great work already going on with the town’s Master Plan for Growth and continue to position St Neots as a strong and vibrant market town.”

HDC is leading on the bid, with active engagement with local partners and from the St Neots Master Plan Steering Group, to be considered for up to £25 million worth of funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG).

The work included in the bid will build on development and improvement work that has previously taken place in the town, including location-focussed improvements such as the Priory Quarter and Market Square, and improvements to town centre infrastructure. This work supports the District Council’s objectives to support economic growth in our market towns, to improve the quality of the environment and town infrastructure and continue our collaborative work with partners to secure resources and facilitate investment and improvements across our District.

The next step for the FHSF bid will see the draft Business Plan submitted for review on 15th March 2020.  The final Business Plan will be submitted on 30th June 2020 with an outcome expected from MHCLG in the late Summer / early Autumn 2020.