Oldham Council’s £270,000 ‘reward’

OLDHAM Council chiefs have been handed more than £270,000 by the Government as a “reward” for successfully promoting growth in the borough.

The Local Authority Business Growth Incentives (LABGI) scheme has been running since 2006, as an incentive for councils to keep promoting their area and attracting growth.

It is the third successive year Oldham has received a payout based on its performance.

Oldham Council’s service director for regeneration, Michele Carr, said: “We are very pleased to receive this latest financial award from the Government.

“We will be working with our partners via the credit crunch war Cabinet to see how we can help local businesses survive the current economic difficulties and continue to stimulate the growth of new businesses in the area.”

Local Government Minister John Healey announced that 43 councils in the North-West would receive more than £13.6 million to spend on what they saw fit. Money is not ring-fenced but can be spent however council bosses decide.

Mr Healey said: “Over the last three years, the LABGI scheme has made a real difference to local communities. In these difficult economic times, it has an even more important role to play.“

Nationally, 371 councils are sharing £100 million.