Malvern Hills District Council to spend £350k to ease prices pressure

Some money will be spent on improving walking and cycling in Malvern Hills

A council is expected to agree to spend up to £350,000 from government "levelling-up" funding on measures to ease cost-of-living pressures.

Malvern Hills District Council will agree how to spend about £865,000 from the Shared Prosperity Fund later.

Its executive committee is also to use £250,000 to strengthen ties in towns and villages in a bid to cut isolation.

MHDC already employs "community builders" who will work with organisations under the plans.

The council is also to give up to £130,000 to county arts charity Severn Arts to hire a worker for community projects, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It also wants to hire a travel officer to help develop plans to improve walking and cycling across the Malvern Hills.

MHDC has already committed £1m to help with the cost-of-living crisis and £175,000 for community arts projects.

The government's Shared Prosperity Fund was set up to support communities, groups, businesses, as well as boost skills and jobs. It aimed to replace EU grants to help poorer regions.

It has been given £2.5m from the fund so far, with some of the money going towards improving some of the district's town centres, including Upton and Malvern Link.

The executive committee will meet in Malvern from 17:00 GMT on Tuesday.