Herefordshire and Shropshire win £75m jobs grant

Minister Greg Clark (left) signed the deal with the Marches LEP and local councillors on Friday

Some £75m is to be invested in Shropshire and Herefordshire over the next five years under a government deal.

The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), which secured the funding, said the agreement would also release £20m in private investment.

The money is expected to help create thousands of jobs across the counties.

It will also see funding for transport and road projects, which are expected to encourage more house building.

Graham Wynn, Chairman of the LEP, said investment in transport schemes would help "unlock development sites" and "drive economic growth in the region".

Initially, £12.8m is expected to be invested in Hereford and Telford over the 2015-16 financial year.

Kuldip Sahota, leader of the Labour-controlled Telford and Wrekin council, said it was a "good deal" for the town.

Other schemes over the next five years include transport projects in Shrewsbury and plans to improve skills across the Marches area, as well as access to broadband.