Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge MP Ashley Fox has urged the Government not to overlook Highbridge in future rounds of local regeneration funding, saying the town “deserves the same opportunities” as other areas in the region.
Speaking in the House of Commons this week, Sir Ashley welcomed the inclusion of South Bridgwater in the latest Pride in Place investment programme, as reported here, which builds on the £23 million Town Deal previously secured for Bridgwater.
However, he stressed that Highbridge also needs targeted support.
“There are parts of Highbridge in my constituency that are equally deserving of funding,” he said during the exchange with Miatta Fahnbulleh MP, Minister for Devolution, Faith and Communities.
“Can the Minister advise whether there will be any further rounds of allocating funding in this Parliament?”
Following the debate, Ashley told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “Highbridge has enormous potential and deserves the same opportunities for investment and regeneration that other parts of the constituency have benefited from. I’ll keep making the case for Highbridge to get the investment it deserves.”
The Minister said that the Government sees this as an “exciting way of investing in our communities” and intends to “leverage additional funding” from business and philanthropic partners, suggesting that successful delivery in areas like Bridgwater could pave the way for further investment elsewhere.
