New £5 million support package for South Wiltshire

11 Jul 2018 02:59 PM

A new £5 million support package for South Wiltshire has been announced by the government.

The government yesterday announced more than £5 million in funding to further support businesses, boost tourism and meet unexpected costs as a result of the incidents in Salisbury and Amesbury.

This new package is in addition to the £2.5 million that has been made available since March to support the local community.

Yesterday’s package includes:

• £997,000 to support Wiltshire Council’s response and recovery costs
• £927,000 to provide immediate support to local businesses and to counter their loss of earnings
• £870,000 to boost the vital tourism industry in the region, including £570,000 for free parking and park-and-ride services, in the South Wiltshire area

In addition, the Home Office has approved a further £2.5 million in special grant funding to cover extra costs incurred by Wiltshire Police, taking the total provided to the police since March to £4.1 million.

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

The people of Salisbury and Amesbury have shown incredible resilience, both since March and in light of last week’s tragic events.

The government will stand in full support of the local community and this funding package will ensure ongoing response and recovery needs are met.

We will continue to work closely with local partners in South Wiltshire on the long-term recovery from these terrible incidents.

Yesterday’s announcement brings the total package of government support to Salisbury and the region to more than £7.5 million.

Baroness Jane Scott, the Leader of Wiltshire Council, said:

I welcome the announcement of this support package from government, and look forward to working with them to provide the essential support the communities and businesses affected by this incident need.