Rural Prosperity Fund
 It was recently announced that West Berkshire has been provisionally allocated a £597,994 share of the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) - making us the only local authority in Berkshire to receive it.
It is a top-up of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, for the purpose of investing in capital projects in small businesses and community infrastructure in rural areas in order to improve productivity, connectivity and access to services. It is aimed at addressing the economic imbalances between rural and urban areas.
We will be working with rural stakeholders to decide how best to spend the money across a range of project, and will be setting this out in an investment plan which we will submit to Government by their 30 November 2022 deadline.
Town Centre Regeneration Plans
 As part of our programme of work to protect and enhance the high streets and town centres of our district, Hemingway Design have been appointed to develop Place-Making Strategies for Thatcham and Hungerford town centres.
The Place-Making Strategies will include a range of suggested improvements and uses in the town centres which will enhance their vitality and economic success.
We'll be holding an open public consultation to formulate the final plans, and we hope to match the success of the Newbury Masterplan consultation which received 5,000 responses. We'll announce soon when the consultation will take place so that you can provide your input.
Newbury College Expo
 We were delighted to attend the Newbury College Expo earlier this month; the event saw 50 employers showcase their career opportunities to nearly 1,000 students from year 11, 12 and 13. West Berkshire Council has the goal to improve career advice and support young people into the future of work and this event was a great example of collaboration with our local education providers and businesses.
We sponsored a STEM Zone (Science, Tech, Engineering and Math) for young people to explore these fields through interactive experiences which was highly successful. Visitors to the event got to engage in a wide range of activities such as virtual reality simulations, hands-on robotics challenges, and discussions with apprentices and employers on their future career options. Feedback from employers was very positive with students engaging well in conversation and activities, showcasing themselves as the talent of the future.
We would like to thank Newbury College and Enterprise Business Partnership for organising the event and we look forward to continuously support our young people with the skills and development needed for their future careers.
Investment Zone expression of interest
 The recently announced Investment Zones scheme seeks to designate specific sites around England where a number of tax incentives, regulatory flexibilities and simplified planning frameworks will apply within the site boundary.
The intention of Investment Zones is to encourage economic growth including more jobs and commercial space, particularly in under-developed areas.
Although some details of the scheme are yet to be announced, councils were invited to submit initial expressions of interest by 14 October 2022. We submitted an expression of interest to potentially designate the London Road Industrial Estate (LRIE) as an Investment Zone. We hope that the tax incentives could potentially bring forward additional investment in order to accelerate and enhance the existing regeneration programme for LRIE, subject the statutory planning process.
Cost of Living Support
 We have been looking at the different options that could support residents in the district with the Cost of Living crisis. If you would like to see what is available, please visit our Cost of Living Support Hub.
We are aware that the cost for businesses have also soared and continue to do so, therefore we have gathered a list of help available below if you are struggling as a business. We will continue to build on this on our business website in the future to support our businesses.
Energy costs
Financial advice and support
Employees
The Giving Tree
 The annual Giving Tree campaign is taking place again this Christmas as part of our ongoing work, alongside partner organisations, to support, protect and care for victims of domestic abuse within West Berkshire.
Christmas is a time for giving and the Giving Tree provides everyone with an opportunity to share the Christmas spirit by donating a gift to a child or adult who has been affected by Domestic Abuse. The gifts can be a mixture of donations, toys and experiences.
We are pleading to local businesses to support the Giving Tree this year; with the cost of living affecting so many, it is even more important to ensure we work together to bring Christmas to those in need.
By donating a gift you are supporting those most hidden in our society and making the difference between someone having something to open on Christmas day or not. The Giving Tree will be live from 8 November to 6 December. If you are able to get involved this year please contact Jade Wilder via email: Jade.Wilder@westberks.gov.uk or call: 07741 832761.
Employee Survey
We are seeking to benchmark how other local authorities and private sector organisations, thank and praise employees, and how they recognise achievement and long service. We would really appreciate it if you could complete a short survey to let us know how you do this in your organisation. You can access the survey via the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/EmployeeRAB
The survey will be open until 5pm on Friday 11 November 2022, and can be completed anonymously or with details of your organisation as you prefer.
If you have any queries please contact: katie.penlington@westberks.gov.uk
Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Event
 The Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce is holding a business energy breakfast event in Newbury on 1 November. If you have any questions about the future of energy for your business, come long and get your questions answered.
Visit the website to find out more and register.
And finally...
There's still time to get your business involved in our sustainable Christmas shopping guide for residents featuring local independent stores, charity shops, farm shops, craft stores, environmental events such as repair cafes and swap shops, and more.
With the cost of living crisis affecting us all, we want to help residents to shop local this Christmas. In addition, as shoppers also face increasing costs, we'll be encouraging them to ‘shop less but shop better’ or ‘upcycle’ by promoting sustainable options for them
The deadline for applications is 30 October 2022. We are aiming to publish the online magazine mid-November.
Apply here: https://www.westberks.gov.uk/ShopLocalChristmas
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