Gloucestershire to get £500,000 to help promote economy

A £500,000 grant has been awarded to Gloucestershire county council to help promote the local economy.

The extra money is coming from the government's New Homes Bonus scheme and is dependent on the number of houses being built locally.

The incentive aims to encourage growth in local areas by matching the extra council tax from new properties.

The cash will be spent on projects ranging from investment in super-fast broadband to regeneration schemes.

The announcement was made at the launch of the Gloucestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), set up to support and encourage new business in the county.

Council leader Mark Hawthorne said: "We are ahead of the game in many areas, but in this financial climate we need to focus our resources where they can make the most difference."