GROUPS that applied for funding to help ‘level up‘ the most deprived areas in the county are set to miss out because the scheme is over subscribed. 

Gloucestershire County Council launched the £1.5 million ‘Levelling Up Together’ fund in October after ten areas in the county, including Cinderford, were identified as falling into the bottom ten per cent of deprived areas nationally in official government statistics. 

The fund was designed to provide improved opportunities, wellbeing, skills and employability for children and adults in those areas, the other nine of which are in Gloucester and Cheltenham. 

But the council has received more than 120 bids for funding and says that not all of them will be successful, as the bids combined total £7 million.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government combine a number of indicators to measure areas of deprivation, including income, employment, education, health, crime, housing and environment.

Council leader Mark Hawthorne (C, Quedgeley) said: “We are delighted to have received 128 applications to the Levelling Up Together Grant Scheme totalling over £7 million.

“This demonstrates what we already knew: our communities know what they need and they have the best ideas for their local area.

“We will now be working through the process, with all applications being scored against the same criteria.

“Applications that meet the threshold will then go forward to a decision-making panel. 

“Of course, not all applicants will be successful, but we look forward to announcing the successful bids in the New Year.”