Egremont and Dalton-in-Furness to receive £3.7m investment
More than £3.7m has been pledged to create new community spaces as part of the redevelopment of two towns.
The money from the Borderlands Partnership is being invested in Egremont and Dalton-in-Furness in Cumbria.
The largest share of the money, £1.8m, will be spent on the former Red Lion site in Egremont turning it into a community hub with a cafe, workshop space and a community square.
Cumberland Council leader and Borderlands Partnership board member, Mark Fryer, said the investment was to help communities "repurpose, revitalise and reinvent their towns".
"By supporting people in these places to shape their own long-term vision, we are helping businesses thrive, increasing visitor numbers, delivering employment stability, and improving town centres for everyone," he said.
Another £900,000 will be spent redeveloping the Florence Arts Centre in Egremont.
The centre is on a former iron ore mine and will have a new cafe, expanded exhibition space and more workshop facilities.
Dalton-in-Furness will also receive a new "pocket park" - green space designed for everyday use and community events - using £570,000 from the fund.
The money will be spent creating new landscaping, seating, planting and paths.
The Borderlands Partnership is made up of leaders from the Scottish Borders Council and Dumfries and Galloway, Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness, and Northumberland councils.
The funding is being provided through the partnership's Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal as part of its wider Place Programme, which aims to boost the economy of 22 towns.
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