The Government announced the plan as an attempt to rejuvenate failing high streets and communities
The latest aspect of the Plan for Change, the Plan for Neighbourhoods will invest the money into high streets, local parks, your clubs, cultural venues, libraries, and health and wellbeing services.
75 communities have been selected, and new boards will be established for each to determine how the money is spent.
The Plan for Neighbourhoods is intended to improve deprived areas
The areas will receive up to £20m each over the next decade to invest into community services, education, health, employment, and crime.
The areas set to receive the funds are:
Scotland:
Arbroath
Elgin
Kirkwall (Orkney Islands)
Peterhead
Dumfries
Irvine
Kilmarnock
Clydebank
Coatbridge
Greenock
Wales:
Barry
Wrexham
Rhyl
Cwmbrân
Merthyr Tydfil
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 (Notts)
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
The Plan for Neighbourhoods is an evolution of the former Long-Term Plan for Towns, originally established by the previous Conservative government but reformed by the current Labour government.
Neighbourhood Boards will allow the communities themselves to be involved
Local residents, businesses, and grassroots campaigners will be a part of the investment process as a part of a new Neighbourhood Board that will be set up in each community. Mayors will take a leading role in town boards, devolving power from Westminster.
Options will be given to the Boards, including road and pavement repairs, establishing community grocers, co-operatives, or neighbourhood watches, amongst others.
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.
“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 turbocharged.”
Minister for local growth and building safety, Alex Norris, said: “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.
“Our Plan for Neighbourhoods 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.
“This, along with our ambitious reforms to streamline the planning system, devolve powers and strengthen workers’ rights, will help get places and people thriving once again.”
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