The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. The UKSPF Cheshire East allocation is circa £12.4M, with a further circa £1.5M allocation specifically for Adult Numeracy programme (Multiply). The funding must be spent by March 2025.
With input from a range of local stakeholders, the Council developed an Investment Plan for the UKSPF allocation, setting out objectives for the funding and anticipated outputs and outcomes. A separate plan has also been developed for the Multiply element.
In the Autumn Budget 2025, the Government announced some additional funding would be made available for one year from April 2025 to March 2026 (Transition Year). On 13 December, it was confirmed that the allocation for Cheshire East Council would be £3,790,237 and a new technical note UK Shared Prosperity Fund 2025-26: Technical note - GOV.UK was issued setting out revised guidance on use of the funding.
The project will support community buildings to reduce energy costs and reduce carbon through energy efficiency measures and low carbon technologies.
It will help community organisations to develop detailed decarbonisation plans for their buildings which will identify measures such as behaviour change, improved monitoring, insulation, window/door replacement, lighting upgrades, electric vehicle charging points, active travel measures, and installation of renewable energy technologies.
The project will then support the implementation by providing a grant contribution towards the installation of these measures through the Cheshire East Crowdfunding platform.
‘Macc on Foot’ will visually enhance the pedestrianised area, significantly improving the pedestrian experience for those walking through Macclesfield town centre’s Historic Heart and Retail core.
It will encourage walking, cycling and events, increase ‘Greening (new trees, planting), enliven the street and increase dwell time and footfall.
It will significantly upgrade and declutter street furniture and improve/restore lighting.
‘Macc on Foot’ will foster civic pride from beautification and enhanced surroundings in the centre of the town.
The vision for the Macclesfield Indoor Market Refurbishment is that Macclesfield Market will become the home of independent retail, a food and produce hub and an important business incubator for local entrepreneurs.
MIMR aims to re-energise the market with a suite of high impact visual enhancements, a proactive Lettings Strategy, emphasis on sustainability and a focus on events and promotion.
It will combine with the physical improvements to create a welcoming market, and to increase footfall and dwell time that supports vitality and viability of the town centre.
MIMR will make the market a ‘go-to destination’ for visitors to Macclesfield.
This scheme represents the ‘final piece of the jigsaw’ providing a coherent high-quality active mode route between Crewe Rail Station and Crewe Town Centre, which will solidify the benefits of the neighbouring Southern Gateway and Mill Street Corridor active travel interventions and enable transformation of Crewe through enhanced connectivity.
By delivering a new shared path, improved crossing and bus stop facilities, this scheme links Crewe Rail Station to Pedley Street, creating more space for pedestrians and cyclists on Nantwich Road bridge. This scheme will also improve links from the station to Gresty Road for trips south of the station.
This project is to undertake a renovation of Knutsford Market Hall to create a more modern, desirable and environmentally friendly market to reverse a steady decline in its viability.
Macclesfield ‘Museum on the Street’ will provide information boards across the town centre that can be followed as a trail. The boards will provide interesting information about Macclesfield and its character including historical information and pictures, to art installations (e.g. Ian Curtis mural) to more quirky unique information like inventing the deckchair!
A digital and paper trail will be available, highlighting local businesses.
The trail will aid visitors to get around and explore all there is to offer, e.g the wonderful museum and Paradise Mill. It will also educate residents and provide low-cost trips for schools.
As identified in the Congleton Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, the highway outside Congleton Railway Station does not include a safe crossing for pedestrians or cyclists.
This gap in provision of the signed walking and cycling route from the station to the town centre can be addressed with the following proposals:
• a rationalised entrance/exit from the station car park
• a pedestrian refuge on Ayrshire Way
• introducing a pedestrian crossing on Park Lane
• relocating the bus stop and removing the layby
• introducing a signed cycle route using the quiet route near the Queen’s Head Pub
This scheme is the construction of a parallel crossing for pedestrians and cyclists at the A538 Waters Roundabout in Wilmslow.
This crossing will create a key link in the existing high-quality cycling and walking infrastructure provision on the route linking Wilmslow to Manchester Airport and beyond.
Completing this route with the crossing will ensure a strong, high-quality, coherent Local Transport Note 1/20 (LTN 1/20)1 compliant route helping to link people to major employment opportunities.
The proposal is to establish new community cultural volunteering groups to support local creative activity in two towns in Cheshire East. The development of these groups will:
- upskill local volunteers
- increase capacity for event delivery and placemaking creative activity
- help develop events and community engagement activity
- support existing events and activity in the towns
- engage local community in cultural decision making
- potentially offer pathways to employment though skills and experience development
The Cultural Place Partnership in Crewe will bring together key partners to deliver a programme of activities and events in Crewe.
The programme will deliver long lasting positive change through delivering opportunities for young people and families to experience high quality culture and access creative skills development. Particularly targeting those experiencing challenging circumstances.
The project will also see the formalisation of a Cultural Partnership for Crewe ensuring that Culture is at the heart of the regeneration of the Town.
This project has three core aims and deliverables.
Firstly, it will develop a clear “Visit Knutsford” brand identity which can be used to promote Knutsford on a variety of marketing materials. This brand will be used to develop a Visit Knutsford website and social media.
The project will also develop a tourism strategy for Knutsford, identifying how the town can develop its role as a tourism location to increase local revenue; this will include working with local tourist attractions to provide advice/guidance on enhancing their position as a destination.
Totally Congleton is a campaign aimed at revitalising Congleton town centre with an exciting range of events and activities to encourage new and existing residents to gain a stronger sense of pride in their town centre and bring together the independent businesses to support each other.
The project will focus on enhancing people’s physical, cultural and social ties to their town centre through art, cultural and heritage events and activities. It will also seek to improve the physical look by dressing empty properties.
To build community capacity, participation and leadership in the cultural delivery in Crewe and to create a locally relevant and engaging arts trail around the town centre including interpretation and guidance.