Locals to ‘control where Whitehall cash goes’ under neighbourhoods plans

Local people will have “control of where the Whitehall cash goes” under funding plans for deprived neighbourhoods, ministers have announced.

Officials have set aside £1.5 billion to be shared around 75 areas across the UK, which can be used for projects such as youth clubs and cultural venues, as well as community services such as health and education.

The scheme follows on from the long-term plan for towns under Rishi Sunak’s government, which had similarly pledged funding for areas across Britain.

Under the “plan for neighbourhoods”, the selected areas will all be handed up to £20 million each and will have a local board set up – comprised of residents, businesses and campaigners – who will get to decide how money is used, according to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The boards will be presented with options of where the cash can be spent, such as repairs to pavements or neighbourhood watch schemes.

Among the areas selected to receive funding are Coleraine in Northern Ireland, Kilmarnock in Scotland and Wrexham and Barry in Wales.

Across the English regions, among the included towns are Darlington, Scarborough and Great Yarmouth.

‘Starved of investment’

Angela Rayner, Deputy Prime Minister and the secretary of state responsible for local government 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.

“We will do things differently, our fully funded Plan for Neighbourhoods puts local people in the driving seat of their potential, having control of where the Whitehall cash goes – what issues they want to tackle, where they want to regenerate and what growth they want turbocharge.”

Local growth minister Alex Norris said that “when our local neighbourhoods thrive, the rest of the country thrives too. That’s why we are empowering communities to take control of their futures and create the regeneration and growth they want to see”.

Money will be made available from April 2025, with projects expected to be able to get up and running in 2026.

Areas set to receive funding under Government neighbourhoods plans

The 75 areas that are set to receive funding under the Government’s plan for neighbourhoods are:

Wales:

Barry

Wrexham

Rhyl

Cwmbran

Merthyr Tydfil

Scotland:

Arbroath

Elgin

Kirkwall (Orkney Islands)

Peterhead

Dumfries

Irvine

Kilmarnock

Clydebank

Coatbridge

Greenock

Northern Ireland:

Derry/Londonderry

Coleraine

North East:

Blyth

Darlington

Eston

Hartlepool

Jarrow

Spennymoor

Washington

 North West:

Accrington

Ashton-Under-Lyne

Burnley

Chadderton

Darwen

Farnworth

Heywood

Kirkby

Leigh

Nelson

Newton-le-Willows

Rawtenstall

Runcorn

Yorkshire and the Humber:

Barnsley

Castleford

Dewsbury

Doncaster

Keighley

Rotherham

Scarborough

Scunthorpe

Grimsby

East Midlands:

Boston

Carlton

Chesterfield

Clifton

Kirkby-in-Ashfield

Mansfield

Newark-on-Trent

Spalding

Worksop

Skegness

West Midlands:

Bedworth

Bilston

Darlaston

Dudley

Royal Sutton Coldfield

Smethwick

East of England:

Canvey Island

Clacton-on-Sea

Great Yarmouth

King’s Lynn

Thetford

Wisbech

Harlow

South East:

Bexhill-on-Sea

Eastbourne

Hastings

Ramsgate

Ryde

South West:

Torquay