Grantham has received a £5.6M Christmas present from central government to help regenerate its town centre.

Coun Kelham Cooke, the leader of South Kesteven District Council, announced the pay-out on social media this morning.

The move follows the government confirming Grantham as one of 50 towns to benefit from the Future High Streets he announcement in August 2019, as previously reported by Nub News.

In July 2020, the council put together a bid for £8M of such funding to help go towards town centre projects worth around £20M, including £11.5M of match funding from the private sector, as also reported by Nub News.

Coun Cooke said on twitter this morning: "Fantastic news! #Grantham has been awarded £5,558,818 in

FutureHighStreetsFund following our @InvestSK, @southkesteven bid to @mhclg!! Just received the message from @RobertJenrick to say we were successful. The council leader added: "We can now get on with our plans to regenerate Grantham Town Centre!" Earlier today, central government announced 72 town centres would receive around £830 million between them. Communities Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said: "The year ahead will be a big one for the high street as it seeks to recover, adapt and evolve as a result of the pandemic. "Today's £830 million investment from the Future High Streets Fund is one of many ways the government is working to help our much-loved town centres get through this and prosper into the future. "The role of high street has always evolved. We want to support that change and make sure that they are the beating heart of their local community – with high quality housing and leisure in addition to shops and restaurants. "This investment will help us build back better and make town centres a more attractive place to live, work and visit. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, said: "We are supporting our high streets to get through this pandemic through business grants, paying people's wages and tax deferrals. "The Future High Streets Fund will help areas bounce back through regeneration projects that level up opportunities and create jobs right across the country."