PROJECTS will have to be prioritised after the Government gave Worcestershire a small grant that is meant to boost the county’s economy.

And representatives from the public and private sector only have a few weeks to decide how they would like to spend the £3.7 million pot – the smallest dished out across the whole country.

The allocation in the Growing Places Fund can be used to open up sites for development and create new infrastructure in the county but based on the fact Government gave £17.5 million towards the relocation and expansion of Worcester Bosch – a project that will cost about £234 million overall – the money handed down yesterday will not deliver much of note.

While Tony Hyde, vice chairman of the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (WLEP), was pleased to receive the money, he acknowledged it is not a significant sum.

Mr Hyde said: “The allocation for Worcestershire is relatively low – it is based on a formula of population and income levels – so it will require some clear prioritisation of projects delivering the greatest economic impact in the short term.”

A decision will have to be made on how the money is spent before a proposal is submitted by December.