Yorkshire Dales to get share of £100m funding to 'level up' rural areas

The Department for Environment and Rural Affairs today published its strategy for getting investment and jobs back into places such as North Yorkshire.

“A young person in the rural Yorkshire Dales should have the same opportunities, be it career prospects, access to education, public services or connectivity, as someone in Leeds or Manchester,” said the report.

The announcement comes alongside a £110 million pot of funding which will be allocated to projects in countryside communities in England, which have not seen the same level of investment as cities.

It is aimed to create more job opportunities for those in rural areas, amid concern that many people feel they may need to move to larger towns or cities to get a job.

The department said that the projects which could be eligible for funding could include farm businesses looking to diversify by opening a farm shop, wedding venues, or improvements to village halls and pubs.

“We are addressing the rural productivity gap, levelling-up opportunities and outcomes, and looking after the rural areas and countryside that so many of us are proud to call home,” said Lord Benyon, minister for rural affairs.

“The Rural England Prosperity Fund worth up to £110 million recognises the unique strengths and challenges of rural communities, and will support them to invest and grow their economies in line with local priorities.”

Greg Clark, who was made Secretary of State for Levelling Up after Michael Gove was sacked, said: “This major investment in rural businesses will help us boost the countryside economy and close the rural productivity gap.

“It’s our mission to spread opportunity across the whole of the UK and this funding will help us do just that.”