Prince William to launch major regeneration fund for isolated Dartmoor village

The Prince of Wales will launch a new regeneration fund next week to assist the isolated rural community situated alongside Dartmoor prison.

William will visit Princetown on Tuesday to unveil The Princetown Community Fund, which will offer at least £250,000 to back local social, economic, and environmental projects in the village.

The future king no longer profits personally from the controversial £1.5 million annual rent generated by the disused prison, following changes announced earlier this year.

William asked that the sum be redirected from his Duchy of Cornwall income from 2026-27 onwards, ensuring the funds are used for local community regeneration instead.

A 2024 investigation by Dispatches and The Sunday Times revealed the Duchy agreed a £37 million deal in 2022—before Charles became King and William the Prince of Wales—leasing Dartmoor Prison to the Ministry of Justice for £1.5 million annually over 25 years, alongside a Ministry of Defence agreement for military training on Dartmoor land.

The category C prison has remained empty since July 2024, after elevated levels of radon—a naturally occurring toxic gas in soil and rocks linked to lung cancer—were found in accommodation areas.

Delivered by Devon Communities Together, the fund will provide grants from £500 to £40,000, along with support for applying organisations.

The scheme forms part of the Prince’s broader plan for the Duchy to commit over £500 million over ten years into local communities, housing, green energy, farming resilience, and environmental recovery.

The scheduled visit falls on the Duke of Sussex’s 42nd birthday, but William, who remains estranged from his brother, has made no public comment on Harry’s return to the UK.

During his trip, William will visit Gather & Moor, a new cultural and community space established by the Duchy of Cornwall in Princetown, and meet representatives from Princetown Press.

He will also meet residents shaping a long-term vision for the Devon village and visit a youth club that received Duchy funding to upgrade facilities.

The fund will build on work undertaken by the Princetown Place Strategy and the Encounters Shop initiative.