King's Lynn and West Norfolk borough council will benefit from £200,000 from a new £56 million Welcome Back Fund to boost tourism, improve green spaces and provide more outdoor seating areas, markets and food stall pop-ups – giving people more safer options to reunite with friends and relatives.
This funding builds on the £50 million Reopening High Streets Safely Fund announced in May 2020 which funded local schemes to encouraged communities to shop safely and locally. £6 million of this funding will be allocated specifically to support coastal areas, with funding to safely welcome holiday makers in the coming months.
The funding can also be used by councils to:
- Boost the look and feel of their high streets by investing in street planting, parks, green spaces and seating areas to make high streets as beautiful and welcoming as possible
- Run publicity campaigns and prepare to hold events like street markets and festivals to support local businesses
- Install signage and floor markings to encourage social distancing and safety
- Improve high streets and town centres by planting flowers or removing graffiti
To make sure that businesses can make the most of the summer, businesses such as pubs and restaurants, including where these premises are in listed buildings, will be allowed to use their land more flexibly to set up marquees and provide more outdoor space for diners as restrictions ease, allowing them to serve more customers and recover from the effects of the pandemic.
They can be kept up for the whole summer rather than the 28 days currently permitted.
