Boost for Greensand Ridge programme

Central Bedfordshire Council has agreed to provide the loan of up to £500,000 to the Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity (BRCC) to use for projects in the Greensand Ridge area.

BRCC wants to create the jobs through the development of tourism, food, community enterprises, business growth and environmentally sustainable projects in the Greensand Ridge area.

The initiative, which forms part of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE), will generate an estimated £6.8 million of investment in Central Bedfordshire, £2.4 million of European funding and approximately £4.4 million of private and voluntary sector investment.

More specific benefits that the RDPE intends to bring to the Greensand Ridge area – which in the Central Bedfordshire section runs from Haynes to Gamlingay – include more opportunities for ‘green’ tourism and leisure activities.

There will also be more help for farmers and foresters to enable them to enter new markets, an expansion of the market for locally sourced food and drink products and support for small or community businesses in the area.

Councillor Maurice Jones, executive member for corporate resources at Central Beds Council, said: “The Greensand Ridge area covers some of Bedfordshire’s most beautiful countryside and takes in several traditional market gardening towns.

“The Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity shares our vision of Bedfordshire as a prime site for tourism and growth, so we are delighted to support their plans which will help to unlock the potential of our area.”

The RDPE supports Central Beds Council’s sustainable communities strategy which aims to bring economic success, encourage prosperity and tackle inequality by delivering new homes and jobs across the district.

It has been agreed that the loan will be repaid to the council in two instalments. The first £200,000 will be repaid on June 30, 2013 and the remaining £300,000 will follow on December 31, 2013.

For the full story see the Biggleswade Chronicle of Friday, July 15.