TEST Valley Borough Council has unlocked £1M from the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) to help deliver six projects in the area.

These projects include creating a new health hub in Andover and supporting new community schemes in Romsey.

The government launched the UKSPF with the aim of reducing inequalities and supporting economic development and local communities through the provision of £2.6B of funding.

They had already allocated the six-figure sum to Test Valley, but the council had to unlock the funding by identifying projects that would help deal with local challenges, bring communities together and support economic growth.

The council submitted details of six proposed projects in August 2022 and received confirmation from the government last month that it would be releasing the money.

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With the £1M now secured, a new £100,000 fund will be established to help deliver projects identified by Romsey Future to improve public spaces, deliver environmental and infrastructure improvements and increase footfall and visitors to the town.

Another £100,000 fund will also be created for community energy efficiency and decarbonisation projects across the borough, as well as £140,000 to help local rural land-based businesses to reduce their carbon footprint.

Further contributions from the figure will go towards projects in Andover and Southampton, including £30,000 going to the University of Southampton Science Park’s Catalyst Programme, £240,000 going to extending the teaching facilities at Andover College, and £280,000 going to Andover Health Hub with a further £110,000 going to the hub to fund the creation of its outreach worker posts.

Leader of Test Valley Borough Council, Cllr Phil North, said: “This is such fantastic news for the borough and our partner organisations who will be leading on these projects. With a particular focus on improving the health of our local communities, driving down carbon emissions in the area and enhancing public spaces, we can expect to see some incredibly positive impacts on people’s lives.

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“And in the case of the Andover Health Hub, as well as providing a new facility in the short to medium term to help address poor health through early intervention and prevention, we’ll also be able to better understand the long-term accommodation requirements for those services as part of the town centre regeneration plans.

“I am very much looking forward to following each of the projects as they progress over the coming years.”

The funding will cover a three-year period from April 2022 to March 2025.

The aim of the UKSPF scheme is to support the UK government’s Levelling Up commitment through three investment priorities or themes, including communities and place, supporting local businesses and people and skills.