Bedford projects to benefit from share of £27.3m to support COVID-19 recovery in county

Millbrook Proving Ground, Flitwick Transport Interchange and Bedford Green Energy Innovation Park to get cash
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Bedford is one of the towns set to benefit from a new pot of government funding to stimulate jobs and support economic recovery across the country.

Modern Methods of Construction; Artificial Intelligence Maths and English Learning Platform; Bedford Green Energy Innovation Park; Millbrook Proving Ground; and Flitwick Transport Interchange will all benefit from a serious cash injection from the government’s new Getting Building Fund..

The South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) which covers Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire has been allocated £27.3million to fund a variety of projects from college developments and green energy schemes to cultural projects and town centre regeneration.

Millbrook Proving Ground (Google)Millbrook Proving Ground (Google)
Millbrook Proving Ground (Google)

The 12 projects should be completed by early 2022 and will create nearly 500 new jobs and help more than 2,300 students.

They include:

*Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), Bedford, awarded £2,900,000: Bedford College’s facilities will be updated to enable it to start teaching Modern Methods of Construction (MMC).

*Artificial Intelligence Maths and English Learning Platform, Bedford, awarded £440,000: This grant will fund a new learning platform which has been designed to improve the achievement rate of learners undertaking maths and English qualifications, improve the digital skills and improve teacher efficiency and wellbeing.

*Bedford Green Energy Innovation Park, awarded £1,867,500: Located on a 30-ha former landfill site, this innovation park within the Oxford–Cambridge Arc will generate green, low carbon, clean energy to encourage others to reduce carbon emissions.

*Electrical supply to Millbrook Proving Ground, Bedfordshire, awarded £3.5million: This will fund further expansion of the automotive testing facilities at Millbrook Proving Ground by upgrading the power supply, allowing for more onsite employment activity.

*Flitwick Transport Interchange, Bedfordshire, awarded £2,219,035: Funding will support the development of an integrated transport hub at Flitwick Rail Station to deliver new passenger facilities, increase modal shifts from private vehicles to sustainable travel and support the regeneration of the station area.