The Government has announced that Teignbridge District Council will receive £219,835 to prepare its town centres and seaside resorts for the safe return of shoppers and tourists this summer.

The money can be used to provide or improve outdoor areas for socialising, smarten up the streets and organise events such as festivals and markets to support local businesses.

It's part of the Government's £56 million Welcome Back Fund, being distributed to local authorities across England.

The councils can also use any amount of the money they receive to put together bids for much larger sums from the Government's Levelling Up Fund and Community Renewal Fund.

A spokesman for Teignbridge District Council said: "We welcome any additional funding that will help with our work to support the local economy and businesses to recover from the pandemic.

"Officers will await the detail of these proposals, but will continue to work with towns and parishes across the district to use all available funding to support them to bounce back stronger."

What are the other funds councils can apply to?

The Levelling Up Fund makes sums of up to £20 million available for projects to regenerate and improve high streets. Government guidance on applying for money from this fund indicates that council areas have been put into priority categories graded 1, 2 or 3, with category 1 'representing places with the highest levels of identified need'.

Teignbridge is in category 3.

The website says: "While preference will be given to bids from higher priority areas, the bandings do not represent eligibility criteria, nor the amount or number of bids a place can submit.

"Bids from categories 2 and 3 will still be considered for funding on their merits of deliverability, value for money and strategic fit, and could still be successful if they are of exceptionally high quality."

The Community Renewal Fund is the precursor to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which is replacing the EU Structural Funding programme following Brexit. Teignbridge district is among 100 areas that have been identified as priorities for this funding, because of a need to improve their economic resilience.