A body set up to help economic growth in Kent has submitted a bid for £229 million of funding to the Government.

The South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) said it will spend the money on 41 projects across the county, as well as East Sussex and Essex.

It said the cash would encourage a further £756 million of investment from the private sector and other funding.

It would generate £3 for every £1 invested by the Treasury, the body claimed.

Its requests include £4.3 million for improvements to Dartford town centre, £3.7 million for infrastructure for the Rochester Airport Technology Park and £3.5 million for flood defences around the Strood Civic Centre site to make it ready for redevelopment.

If it gets all the cash, £1.3 million would be spent on improvements to the A2500 on Sheppey to get the area ready for housing, while £4 million would go towards sprucing up Chatham town centre.

Another £6.1 million would be spent on a new skills facility in Canterbury to develop people in engineering and technology while £1.5 million would be used to buy and redevelop the ex-MOD site at Fort Halstead in Sevenoaks.

It said increasing “urgently needed” flood storage in Leigh near Tonbridge and protection for homes in East Peckham would cost £4.6 million.

The body, which has public and private sector people on its board, also wants £7.5 million to improve junctions into the Kent Medical Campus near Maidstone, where KIMS Hospital is based, and £6.2 million to improve infrastructure around the NIAB East Malling Research centre.

Redevelopment of three sites for housing in Swanley town centre will cost £1.9 million and improvements to junctions in Ashford town centre will cost £1 million.

Improving junctions near Paddock Wood will enable the construction of 1,000 homes at a cost of £3 million, it said, and it has requested for £4.8 million for upgrades to signalling at Ashford International Station.

If approved by the Government, SELEP believes the overall bid will create 73,672 jobs across the region.

It would also support the construction of 31,052 homes, it said.

SELEP chairman Christian Brodie said: “Our bid delivers against the Government’s priorities of creating more jobs, homes and improving skills. Support for it will send a very positive message to existing businesses and inward investors that there is an ambition and appetite to grow the economy of the South East.

“Sitting between mainland Europe and the rest of the UK, our area is perfectly placed to deliver for the country as a whole. The bid is timely as it will ensure we have a strong economy as we move towards our new relationship with Europe.”

SELEP’s previous investments have included the upgrade to Tonbridge High Street, the first phase of a new Ashford College and improvements along Chatham waterfront.

A decision on the bid is expected before the Autumn Statement in December.