Locals are to see their high streets revived, community hubs saved and public services transformed and strengthened through the Plan for Neighbourhoods just announced by the Government.
A sum of £1.5 billion is to be handed to towns across the UK to tackle deprivation and turbocharge growth, as areas join the decade of national renewal committed to in its Plan for Change.
In total, 75 towns or areas will each receive up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade through the plan, with ministers vowing it will help transform “left behind” areas by investing in delivering services and tackling issues such as crime. Communities across the four nations - from Scunthorpe in England, Irvine in Scotland, Wrexham in Wales, and Coleraine and Derry~Londonderry in Northern Ireland - are among the areas set to benefit.
Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner, said: “For years, too many neighbourhoods have been starved of investment, despite their potential to thrive and grow. Communities across the UK have so much to offer – rich cultural capital, unique heritage but most of all, an understanding of their own neighbourhood.”
Minister for Local Growth and Building Safety, Alex Norris, added: “We will deliver long-term funding that will bolster that inner community spirit in us all and relight the fires in corners of the UK that have for too long been left fighting for survival.”
In each area, the government will help set up a Neighbourhood Board, bringing together residents, local businesses and grassroots campaigners to draw up and implement a new vision for their neighbourhood. Mayors will have a formal role in these boards, allowing local people to take advantage of the powers devolved from Westminster.
Each board will decide how to spend up to £20 million – they can choose from options ranging from repairs to pavements and high streets, to setting up community grocers providing low-cost alternatives when shopping for essentials, as well as co-operatives or even neighbourhood watches.
Funding will be released from April 2025 with delivery investment commencing in 2026, and areas included in the Plan for Neighbourhoods were chosen after considering key factors, including rates of deprivation and healthy life expectancy.
To read more, and for a full list of the towns set to receive funding, click here.
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