Dovercourt High Street to receive £500,000 of funding

The government has announced Dovercourt will be awarded £500,000 of ‘Levelling Up’ funding in a bid to revive the town.

It is one of ten areas across the UK in line to benefit from a grant of half a million pounds as Downing Street looks to coax more people back to high streets.

The money will be utilised to make Dovercourt’s High Street more attractive for people to visit and spend their spare time in.

Location - a Street View image of Dovercourt's High Street (Image: Google Maps)

It will also work on strengthening transport links from across key parts of the town such as the seafront and parks.

Green spaces will be added to the town’s retail areas, and there will be landscaping projects taking place for key access routes into the town’s centre.

Residents can expect trees, baskets, flowers, and plants to be added to Dovercourt High Street, while certain sections of the area will be turned into “useable pocket spaces” for the public.

Jacob Young, the government minister for the Levelling up campaign said: “High streets are the beating heart of our communities and we’re determined to keep them alive and flourishing through our levelling up support.

“Coupled with the new powers we’re giving to councils to rent out persistently empty spaces, our High Street Accelerators programme will make our towns more welcoming and pleasant places for people to enjoy.”

Government - an image of Jacob Young on the right with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen (Image: PA)

The £500,000 comes from the government’s High Street Accelerators pilot programme which launched nationally in December last year.

It works with ten local authorities across the country to help make improvements to their high streets, while empowering residents and businesses to partner with them a regeneration plan.

The pilot programme is backed by £7million of funding.

Paul Milsom is the chairman of the Dovercourt Town Centre High Street Accelerator partnership.

He said: “This extra £500,000 to support our high street is a wonderful opportunity to improve the attractiveness and accessibility of the town centre, really helping to make it more vibrant.

Happy - Paul Milsom

“The town has a beautiful beach and the wonderful Cliff Park nearby, but these assets feel disconnected from our shopping area due to the lack of quality pedestrian routes.

“Improving connections will really integrate the town and these open spaces, encouraging residents and visitors into our high street and boosting our economy.

“Some of our streets are a little drab with a lack of green spaces, which can distract from the character and distinctiveness of the historic town centre.

“So public realm improvements and the creation of ‘pocket spaces’ will really give the town centre a boost.

“Working in partnership with Tendring Council, the schemes will build on the wider regeneration project happening around the town centre, helping to create a more sustainable future.”