Geoffrey attended a site visit and meeting on Friday, 4 June 2021, in Bideford, ahead of Torridge District Council’s bid to the Government’s £4.8 billion Levelling Up and Community Renewal Fund.
Geoffrey has been working closely with the Council over the past few months, supporting them in their bid to secure funding for the regeneration of Bideford’s Heard’s Garage into Isaac’s Yard. Geoffrey will write the foreword for the bid, and will also speak directly to the Ministers involved in the selection process.
Geoffrey said:
"I have long campaigned for greater understanding in Westminster that our rural and coastal market towns are in urgent need of regeneration and it is hugely encouraging that Torridge has been awarded priority one status for this fund, which will hopefully bring much needed investment into the area.
“I hope that this time we will be successful and that this important project will be the catalyst for long awaited regeneration and renewal for Bideford.”
The new development is designed to be the start of wider regeneration in the town, creating co-working space, a cultural centre, residential units, street food outlets and a community use walled garden, transforming the heart of Bideford into a vibrant cultural space.