News on HS2 in Northants

Greatworth Community Transport Association in Northamptonshire has secured a £74,977 CEF (Community and Environment Fund) grant to provide essential travel services for local residents.

The Association, a charity run by volunteers from the village, will use the funding to lease a 16-seater community minibus for three years during the main HS2 construction works.

Greatworth is near the new high speed railway and construction will have an impact on traffic routes in the area. The new community minibus will benefit all residents in Greatworth and also the surrounding area and help overcome local difficulties. It will be accessible, with a wheelchair lift to meet the needs of the local disabled community, and will run twice-weekly into nearby Brackley providing vital links to doctors, dentists, shops and other local services.

A number of popular village clubs and groups have indicated that they will use the minibus, including local churches and the village inn. It will also be utilised by the local primary school and pre-school to expand their already exciting curriculum activities with additional extracurricular sporting and performance opportunities, as well as visits to local farms, museums and galleries.

To date, nearly £8 million has been awarded from the funds across 130 projects near the HS2 route. In Northamptonshire, 13 projects have benefitted, sharing £599,276 between them. The projects range from rebuilding the clubhouse at Brackley FC to upgrading a number of children’s play facilities in the area.

Community and Business Funds

As construction of HS2 gets underway, applications for the funds are still being welcomed. Our Community and Environment Fund (CEF) and the Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF) for Phase One are worth £40 million. They give local communities and businesses disrupted by the construction of HS2 the opportunity to receive funding of up to £1 million for projects to improve their local area or support their local economy.

The Funds for Phase One, independently administered by community charity Groundwork UK, support urban and rural, community, environmental and business projects. For more information on Groundwork and the funds, including how to apply, visit https://hs2funds.org.uk/ . You can also watch our short videos which explain how to best demonstrate that your project meets the criteria for the Community, Environment or Business Funds.

If you have any questions about the Community and Business Funds, HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .