UK Shared Prosperity Fund

UK Shared Prosperity Fund – investing in St Albans District

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund was launched by central government in early 2022. All local councils have been allocated a share of the fund to invest in their areas by March 2025.

St Albans District Council has been allocated £1,598,711 over three financial years: 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25.

This can be used to support a wide range of interventions to build pride in place and improve life chances, across three investment priorities:

Community and place
Supporting local business
People and skills

To access this funding, we were required to submit an investment plan in summer 2022.

Our investment plan

In discussion with local partners including the voluntary and community sector organisations, business representatives and other key stakeholders, we identified a mix of activities we will deliver to meet our local needs over the next three years.

To maximise the impact of the fund, we set our local criteria and prioritised the activities to include in the investment plan against these. This included making sure that important work that has been receiving EU funding can continue, and focusing on a few large projects that meet the Council’s Corporate Plan objectives.

The prioritised projects are wide ranging and will benefit local residents, communities and businesses:

Skills training for those furthest away from the labour market - The fund will support three projects each targeting specific groups - young people, people with learning difficulties and disabilities, and people with multiple complex barriers (such as mental health issues, long-term unemployment, ex-offenders, carers). The projects will be managed by Hertfordshire Futures (formerly Hertfordshire LEP) and delivered by partners including Hertfordshire County Council’s Step2Skills unit.
Supporting local business - Four projects have been prioritised that will help strengthen the local economy. Three of the projects will focus on the following: provision of general business advice focused on SMEs (small medium enterprises); support for start-ups and new businesses; an online advice portal for employers and students. The fourth project is to contribute towards the development of a Hertfordshire Film Office to promote film and TV-activities. The projects will be managed by Hertfordshire Futures and delivered by Hertfordshire Futures or through other partners such as STANTA (St Albans Enterprise Agency).
Building pride in place and improving wellbeing - Three projects have been prioritised: improving Verulamium Park lake and surrounding area; developing the events programme to reach a wider audience; and improving community facilities, including a contribution towards building a new community centre in Fleetville. All have an important role in encouraging physical and social activity and are an opportunity to reach some of our most deprived neighbourhoods and communities. However, Verulamium Park and the events programme are also important in attracting visitors to the District.

Year 1 - 2022-23

We were notified on 12 January 2023 that our Investment Plan has been approved and the first tranche of funding was released to us in February 2023. Projects funded in year 1 were:

Improvements to community facilities: Clarence Park cricket pavilion; Cottonmill Community & Cycling Centre; and the Eric Morecambe Centre
Funding towards the 2022 St Albans Christmas Cracker and purchase of two event safety barriers
Improvements to green spaces: replacement boardwalk for Nomansland Common (installed in summer 2023); new dual bins for Verulamium Park (installed in early 2024); contribution towards an archaeological survey in Verulamium Park as part of the Revitalising the River Ver project
Contribution towards Herts Film Office, promoting filming locations around the District

Year 2 - 2023-24

We were notified on 28 June 2023 that our second tranche of funding had been approved. Year 2 projects included:

Contribution to the three Council-run street festivals
Work with community partners to empower them to run events
Improvements to community facilities: further funding towards the refurbishment of Clarence Park cricket pavilion
Improvements to green spaces: replacement Sopwell boardwalk (delayed to Autumn 2024 due to wet weather); new outdoor gym in Verulamium Park (installation May 2024)
Contribution towards Herts Film Office, promoting filming locations around the District
Business support projects delivered by Hertfordshire Futures (formerly Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership)
Skills training and support projects delivered through Hertfordshire Futures (formerly Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership)

Year 3 - 2024-25

We were notified on 2 May 2024 that our third tranche of funding had been approved. Year 3 projects include:

Contribution to the three Council-run street festivals
Work with community partners to empower them to run events
Improvements to community facilities: refurbishment of the existing Fleetville Community Centre; improvements to the Multi Use Games Area at Cottonmill Community & Cycling Centre; Toulmin Drive Sports and Community Hub feasibility study
Improvements to green spaces: deshading tree works along the River Ver; pathway and access improvements along the River Ver; new footpath in Camp Open Space, riverbank repair in Sopwell
Refurbishment of Redbourn public conveniences
Contribution towards Herts Film Office, promoting filming locations around the District
Business support projects delivered by Hertfordshire Futures (formerly Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership)
Skills training and support projects delivered through Hertfordshire Futures (formerly Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership)

More information

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus.

If you need further details or advice please contact SharedProsperity@stalbans.gov.uk.