{"id":485674,"date":"2026-03-20T10:47:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T10:47:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/485674\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T10:47:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T10:47:08","slug":"strood-is-the-latest-kent-town-to-get-20m-government-pride-in-place-funding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/485674\/","title":{"rendered":"Strood is the latest Kent town to get \u00a320m government Pride in Place funding"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A Kent town is to get \u00a320 million government funding.<\/p>\n

Strood<\/a> is the latest part of the county to be awarded the investment through the Pride in Place programme, it has been announced tonight (Thursday).<\/p>\n

\"StroodStrood has been awarded \u00a320m funding over the next 10 years<\/p>\n

The funding forms part of a major national expansion of the scheme, which now covers hundreds of communities across the UK and represents up to \u00a35.8 billion in total investment.<\/p>\n

The money can be used for upgrading high streets, improving community facilities, and enhancing public spaces.<\/p>\n

Alongside this cash – which will be spread out over the next decade – new powers will be introduced to help tackle boarded-up shops and protect valued local assets, with the aim of restoring pride in high streets.<\/p>\n

These powers can be used to block unwanted shops such as betting shops or vape stores.<\/p>\n

\"NewNew powers will be introduced to help tackle boarded-up shops<\/p>\n

Medway is already benefiting from similar funding, having received \u00a31.5 million last year through the Pride in Place Impact Fund<\/a>. This has supported improvements to town centres, including a Shopfront Grant Scheme to upgrade retail frontages.<\/p>\n

Each area included in the Pride in Place programme will establish a Neighbourhood Board made up of residents, businesses, community groups, councillors, and the local MP. This board will develop a ten-year plan.<\/p>\n

Luton, Twydall and Rede Common are some fo the neighbourhoods named which will benefit.<\/p>\n

Lauren Edwards, MP for Rochester and Strood, has welcomed the announcement.<\/p>\n

\"MPMP Lauren Edwards has welcomed the Pride in Place funding for Strood<\/p>\n

Over the coming months, she will consult with residents, businesses, and groups across Strood to determine how the money will be best spent.<\/p>\n

Ms Edwards said: \u201cI\u2019m thrilled that Strood has been awarded \u00a320 million through the government\u2019s Pride in Place Fund. This investment will make a big difference over the next decade and rightfully puts the power to regenerate our town into the hands of local people.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be inviting people from across Strood to help shape how the money is spent \u2013 whether that\u2019s for new community facilities, greener and safer public spaces, or improvements to our high streets. Working together, we can build a stronger community for everyone in Strood.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Pride in Place funding can be used for revitalising high streets, tackling empty units, and improving shopfronts; creating or upgrading parks, youth spaces, leisure centres and community facilities; restoring valued local assets such as pubs, libraries, and community centres; regenerating derelict or underused buildings and land; and supporting community events, volunteering, and activities that strengthen social cohesion.<\/p>\n

The Sheppey East area, which includes the villages of Leysdown, Eastchurch and Warden on the Isle of Sheppey, was awarded \u00a320 million Pride in Place funding last year<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Communities Secretary Steve Reed said: “Across the country, people step outside their front door and feel like there is nothing for them: no sense of belonging, no investment in their area, no feeling that anyone is listening.<\/p>\n

“Pride in Place backs these people and puts the tools and the money directly in their hands to change that, because strong communities aren’t built for people, they’re built by them.<\/p>\n

“These new neighbourhoods are joining a movement that is bringing people closer together, and this government is backing them to do it.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A Kent town is to get \u00a320 million government funding. Strood is the latest part of the county…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":485675,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[59,57,58,192,191,188,50,229,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-485674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-united-kingdom","tag-gb","tag-great-britain","tag-greatbritain","tag-human-interest","tag-kent","tag-medway","tag-news","tag-politics","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/485674","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=485674"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/485674\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/485675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=485674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=485674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=485674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}