Midsomer Norton Town Council will tonight (January 8) be looking at proposals to get their hands on some extra funding via the Levelling Up fund.

At at meeting of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (otherwise known as levelling up money) in Keynsham on Monday 11th December, B&NES offered up some ideas about how to apply for funding, which could be allocated alongside West of England Rural Funds and West of England Combined Authority Funds (WECA).

Any parish or town council can apply for the money, but they have to apply now and, if successful, need to use it pretty quickly.

Councillors have been told that the money, which can only be used for any capital works, needs to be spent between January 2024 and the 31st March 2025.

The grant application window opened today (January 8) and is due to close on February 16the and the funds would be between £10,000 and £40,000.

Midsomer Norton Town Council also heard that the focus is on bids that deliver on the objectives below in green – so if the application is for the Town Hall, there would need to be an energy efficiency emphasis of the works for instance putting in low energy panels.

The Town Council could also consider whether the Town Park or work at the Somer Centre, which has now returned to be owned by the council itself, may be a better fit.

On one criteria Midsomer would fit, it is considered a rural area - which means existing projects can be funded (for urban areas it would have to be a totally new project).

B&NES have a total funding pot of £260,000 to distribute to local areas and the funding can cover 100% of the costs, no match-funding is required

More discussion is expected a the Town Council meeting tonight at 7pm at The Hollies - which the public are welcome to attend.