A new Rural Prosperity Fund launched by the government will include almost £2.1million to improve digital infrastructure and productivity, job creation and the resilience of communities in Dorset.

The Rural Prosperity Fund was launched earlier this month as a 'top-up' to the existing UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which was launched last year, and will include a £2,066,000 boost for Dorset.

The news has been welcomed by West Dorset MP Chris Loder, who said: "While Dorset is already receiving approximately £6 million through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, this is a separate package that provides a 'top-up' for rural communities like in West Dorset. Many of which, as I have argued since my election, need the 'levelling up' focus as much as in cities."

The launch followed a sustained campaign by Mr Loder to reform the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) because of a lack of benefit he said it brought to West Dorset.

Speaking of the Dorset LEP, Mr Loder commented: "I am pleased to see the government reforming the old LEP system into Shared and Rural Prosperity Funds, which will give far more fairness to the rural needs of West Dorset as the urban East Dorset which in my view dominated the LEP allocations for years."

The West Dorset MP also publicly stated that he had been lobbying the government to abolish LEPs during a BBC Politics South West interview in July last year.

The funding is to be administered across the UK by local authorities under the guidance of the government, which has stated that the purpose of this new scheme is to:

• Support new and existing rural businesses to develop new products and facilities that will be of wider benefit to the local economy. This includes farm businesses looking to diversify income streams
• Support new and improved community infrastructure, providing essential community services and assets for local people and businesses to benefit the local economy

Mr Loder added: "I would strongly encourage any community groups or businesses who may be able to benefit from this scheme to contact their Dorset Council representative to make their representations known."