Latest news with #Levelling-UpFund
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Additional funds approved for Porthcawl Grand Pavilion project
Councillors in Bridgend have approved the use of an extra £4m worth of funds from the Welsh Government for the next phase in the Porthcawl Grand Pavilion redevelopment. Members at a full council agreed to release £4m of capital funding from the sale of land, which is part of a new owners agreement with Welsh Government, to jointly progress the Porthcawl Regeneration Programme. It will now allow for the £20m project to renovate the town's popular Grade II-listed building and give it a new lease of life to progress to the next stage. READ MORE: Busy Swansea road to close for a month as drivers warned to prepare for 'significant disruption' READ MORE: Three million workers to get pay rise from next week thanks to major change The latest version of the plans, which were supported by the UK Government's Levelling-Up Fund, will see the conservation and repair of the some of the building's art deco features including the clock tower and stained-glass windows along with a new studio theatre, bar, and 'changing places' facility that would be open to the public. They will also see the creation of new extensions including a glazed rooftop pavilion with views of the Bristol channel, a passenger lift, auditorium, gallery, toilet facilities, and supporting back-of-house areas. Additionally there will be a "sensitive restoration" of the building's original domed roof with new insulation and the original marine-styled weathervane being reinstated. At the meeting members were given an update on the project where "substantial progress" was said to have been made with the initial prep work and strip-out of the building now completed. Officers said that there had also been a "compliant tender bid" received for the work which came in under the cost threshold though this was subject to the funding from the owners agreement being available. They also noted there was a risk that if the extra capital funding wasn't approved the tender contract wouldn't go forward and the UK Government's Levelling Up Funding may be lost. The report said: "If the Grand Pavilion main works contract is successfully awarded works will begin on-site during May 2025 and are anticipated to be completed by spring 2027." Councillor Neelo Farr added: "This is exciting news for the Grand Pavilion project. We have already made huge strides in the programme with the initial preparatory works, including internal strip-out of the building, now complete. These works were essential in identifying and addressing any structural issues prior to the main building works starting." For the latest Bridgend news sign up to our newsletter here.
The Independent
10-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Introducing a tourism tax would revolutionise our crumbling cultural landscape
I've lost count of the government meetings I've attended framed by the health warning: 'Sorry – there's no money.' This is the refrain that greets beleaguered arts and cultural organisations up and down the country. While the odd, welcome dollop of cash has sometimes been found in a Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) budget, or the now-defunct Levelling-Up Fund, our cultural infrastructure is crumbling. Former Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane points to a 'systematic underinvestment' in our rich cultural assets over many years, and a country that has 'stymied its local leaders' capacity to raise taxes to invest in them'. This has not just manifested itself in a horrendous backlog of repairs and a dearth of creative opportunities: civic museums, playhouses and libraries are closing, and informal spaces like pub theatres and grassroots music venues are disappearing completely. All of these make up the unique social and cultural fabric of places and communities. At the same time, Britain's arts, culture, history and heritage support a multi-million-pound tourism industry – worth about £1.6 billion a year, according to the latest Visit Britain figures. London alone provides the greatest concentration of artistic and creative endeavour in the world, with museums and galleries (national museums are free), libraries, theatres, heritage sites and concert halls being the top reasons why overseas visitors flock here. Other major cities across the nation, like Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh, are also hives of cultural and creative industries, and bustling tourist hotspots. So, when the government says, 'no more money' and asks for 'any ideas for new funding models?', I believe there is a potential answer. My think tank, the Cultural Policy Unit, has recently published a report proposing a modest 'City Tourism Charge', a mandatory scheme along the lines of the hotel levies that operate in so many other countries across the world. For the most part, this levy involves a small daily sum – a few pounds, for example – added to hotel or guesthouse bills. You may well notice this 'local tax' when you come to settle up, but it's unlikely to have stopped you from booking in the first place. We suggest that the charge is both modest and 'progressive', so that, on a sliding scale, higher-end accommodation charges more. So, for instance, a three per cent levy on an £840 double room at London's Claridge's would cost an extra £25.20 a night, while a standard double room at Euston's Premier Inn (approximately £120) would cost £3.60. A vital part of our proposal is that the funds generated be 'ring-fenced for cultural infrastructure and placemaking'. Put simply, this embraces everything from major heritage sites to cultural festivals, film production hubs to makerspaces and artist studios, and grassroots venues to the creative districts that so many visitors enjoy. It's important that the funds raised are reinvested back in the cultural and tourism sectors that generate them, creating a self-sustaining 'circular' model. And to make sure this levy benefits every part of the country – not just London – we recommend that the money is distributed locally, overseen by metro mayors, and that a portion of it is redistributed regionally. It is essential, both for the hospitality sector and the cultural sector, that the result is transformational, particularly because the tourist economy is currently facing increased taxes. Drawing on costings by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, and most recently the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, we calculate that a three per cent 'city charge' on visitors' hotel bills would generate over £1 billion a year. To put this into perspective, the sums raised could be well over twice as much as Arts Council England has available to invest in its portfolio of organisations. Hoteliers may not like everything about this proposal – and there are legitimate concerns. But I hope our report will help navigate some of the thorny issues. Firstly, we are recommending a mandatory rather than a voluntary charge, which reduces the administrative burden on accommodation providers. Secondly, the charge should be modest and designed in collaboration with the hospitality sector, so as not to discourage visitors. Thirdly, all the funds generated must be 'additional' – not hijacked to make up for shortfalls elsewhere. And finally, transparency about how the money is spent is key. A recent survey, for instance, in the Puglia region of Italy, found that visitors were happy to pay more if the money raised was used to protect and enhance the region's natural environment. Our USP is our vibrant cultural landscape. What depresses people most is when taxes or levies are swallowed by Treasury coffers. This 'charge' must make a tangible difference to visitors and residents alike. At present, England is something of a global outlier in not introducing a mandatory tourist charge; even Scotland and Wales are well down the track of legislating for hotel levies (Scotland's scheme kicks off in 2026). So, let's work together with hotels and the wider hospitality sector to show that we not only cherish our reputation as the cultural powerhouse of the world, but also, through instituting a 'city tourism charge'', that we mean business.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Eden Project Morecambe to open in 2028
Eden Project Morecambe is now expected to open in 2028 - two years later than originally planned, the government has said. Local Government Minister Alex Norris confirmed all allocated funding for the project would be in place by early 2026, when building work is likely to get under way. The government will contribute £50m, with the same amount expected to come from the private sector and philanthropists. Norris was asked by Shadow Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary Kevin Hollinrake about when the government expected the construction of Eden Project Morecambe to be completed, and when it would start to welcome visitors. In his reply to the Conservative MP, Norris said a memorandum of understanding had been agreed between Lancaster City Council and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government regarding money from the Levelling-Up Fund (LUF). He said the attraction should be opened by October 2028. Eden Project Morecambe, which will be built on the site of the former Bubbles leisure complex, involves a partnership between Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council and Lancaster University. Described as a "global garden", it will feature three large shell-shaped pavilions overlooking Morecambe Bay. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Eden Project Morecambe receives another £2.5m No sign Eden Project Morecambe funding will be cut Eden Project Morecambe Lancaster City Council
BBC News
06-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Eden Project Morecambe now expected to open in 2028, minister says
Eden Project Morecambe is now expected to open in 2028 - two years later than originally planned, the government has Government Minister Alex Norris confirmed all allocated funding for the project would be in place by early 2026, when building work is likely to get under government will contribute £50m, with the same amount expected to come from the private sector and was asked by Shadow Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary Kevin Hollinrake about when the government expected the construction of Eden Project Morecambe to be completed, and when it would start to welcome visitors. 'Global garden' In his reply to the Conservative MP, Norris said a memorandum of understanding had been agreed between Lancaster City Council and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government regarding money from the Levelling-Up Fund (LUF).He said the attraction should be opened by October Project Morecambe, which will be built on the site of the former Bubbles leisure complex, involves a partnership between Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council and Lancaster as a "global garden", it will feature three large shell-shaped pavilions overlooking Morecambe Bay. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
28-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Hereford set for £7m active travel improvements
Cycling and walking schemes in Hereford are set to benefit from a £7m Council has opened a tender for a principal contractor to install active travel improvements along Holme Lacy Road and the Straight Mile, running from Ross Road in the south of the city to the Rotherwas industrial council said it expected work to begin in June and be completed by next work will be partly paid for out of Herefordshire's £20m award from the previous government's Levelling-Up Fund. When the award was announced early last year, the council said the scheme was intended to encourage local residents and workers in the area to walk or cycle to work."There will be a series of improvements along the Holme Lacy Cycleway to encourage more and safer active travel to work and local services," it plans include a cycle track, partly segregated from pedestrians and part-shared.A signal-controlled crossing will be built for cyclists under the railway bridge, while there will priority crossings for cyclists at Putson Avenue, Hinton Road, Chestnut Drive and Hinton Avenue.A new pedestrian crossing will also be created on the stretch between St Clare's Court and Lower Bullingham tender closes to bids on 7 April. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
