The 100 places selected for the government's £3.6 billion Towns Fund, which includes Glastonbury, will now be able to draw up their proposals for a multi-million pound investment, the Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government Simon Clarke MP announced today (June 15).

The government has today published further Towns Fund guidance which sets out the key information local leaders in Glastonbury need to prepare for a Town Deal and develop proposals in the form of a Town Investment Plan.

Towns can be awarded up to £25 million of government money, and among the suggestions in the guidance is a focus on local transport; digital connectivity; urban regeneration, planning and land use; arts, culture and heritage; skills infrastructure and enterprise infrastructure.

Whatever route Glastonbury's Town Deal board decides to go down, the guidance says "all interventions should be designed to help generate local economic growth while taking into account the principle of clean growth".

It comes on the day that non-essential retail begins to reopen in towns as they look to recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Through the guidance, communities, businesses and local leaders will now be able to work together and draw up plans to transform their town's economic growth prospects with a focus on improved transport, broadband connectivity, skills and culture.

Mr Clarke said: "Ensuring that every part of this country has the opportunity to grow and prosper is at the heart of the mission of this Government, and our Towns Fund is an essential part of making sure that our communities have the level of investment they need to drive jobs and economic growth.

"Investment in our towns is needed more than ever as we move to the next stage of the economic recovery from Covid-19, and the fund will play an important part in the kick-starting of our economic recovery and levelling up our regions.

"With this new guidance, communities, businesses and local leaders will now be able to work together to draw up their ambitious plans bring investment and growth to their local area."

Glastonbury will now have four weeks to decide whether or not to submit a Towns Investment Plan by July 31 2020 or, in a later cohort, by either October 2020 or early 2021.

All 100 places will be supported throughout the development of their Town Investment Plans by the Towns Hub, which consists of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Towns Fund Delivery Partnership led by Arup.