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
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Butter wouldn’t melt, sorry, Red Sonia you and Lemmy not Lammy lack something…
How are these areas selected? Is it a continuation of Johnson’s pork barrelling, handing crumbs to their favourites, or are there clear unambiguous criteria that will ensure other areas get selected in future and no-one is left behind.
Continuation of Community First issues is what I think will happen.
Is this being taken from the shared prosperity fund?.
Clearly Angela Rayner considers she knows better than the Senedd what areas in Wales deserve investment. Just as the Westminster Labour government is conviced that HS2 benefits Wales directly