NORTH NORTHAMPTONSHIRE URBAN GREENSPACE AUDIT, STRATEGY AND DELIVERY PROGRAMME

Description

North Northamptonshire Council has been successful in a bid to the Government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

A key priority of this Fund has been targeted to intervention E3: Creation of and improvements to local greenspaces, community gardens, watercourses, embankments, along with incorporating natural features into wider public spaces. This is recognised as being a key contributor to pride in place.

North Northamptonshire Council has allocated £1,520,000 towards delivering activities in support of intervention E3 with funding to be spent by 31 March 2025.  This is the largest allocation to any single intervention in the Councils' UK Shared Prosperity Fund programme. 

The purpose for the investment is to improve the urban greenspace offer and access to the environment and increase use, and enjoyment of Urban Greenspaces in North Northamptonshire.  

In support of this intervention, North Northamptonshire Council is now inviting quotations for the provision of:

•	An Urban Greenspace Audit
•	An Urban Greenspace Strategy
•	The identification and assessment of Capital Schemes and their benefits
•	The development of a prioritised Urban Greenspace Programme of works

The Council's detailed requirements are defined in the Specification.

The investment is focussed on the larger urban areas of North Northamptonshire that are ineligible for the Rural England Prosperity Fund - the towns of Corby, Desborough, Kettering, Wellingborough and Rushden/Higham Ferrers.  

A focus of the programme is supporting the areas identified as Left Behind Communities.  These are Kingswood in Corby; Avondale Grange in Kettering; and Queensway in Wellingborough.  Although there is a particular focus towards investing in these areas, this does not mean that funding should be directed exclusively to them.  A balanced approach should be found ensuring that communities in all six towns benefit through the investment.