The UK government has announced £2.1 billion of funding for over 100 levelling up projects. Around £19 million of this is to be given to a project in prime minister Rishi Sunak’s constituency of Richmond. A spreadsheet released by the Department for Levelling Up shows the 111 successful projects. Within this, it includes details of £19m that has been granted to a project in Mr Sunak’s constituency. Some of the other major funding projects announced through the latest announcement include £40mfor Blackpool Council and Wyre Council to deliver a new Multiversity education campus in Blackpool’s Talbot Gateway Central Business District and £20m total of £20m is going towards the regeneration of Gateshead Quays and the Sage, which will include a new arena, exhibition centre, hotels, and other hospitality. Responding to the announcement of projects awarded in the second round of funding from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund, Cllr Kevin Bentley, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s People and Places Board, said: “This latest round of levelling up funding will give those councils who were successful the ability to forge ahead with ambitious plans to transform their communities and improve the lives of residents. “Fulfilling these projects has become more challenging due to rising inflation and costs, particularly in the building industry, impacting on their potential to be fully realised. “Levelling up should be locally led by evidence of where crucial investment needs to go to, not based on costly competitive bids between areas. “This is not a sustainable approach to economic development or public service delivery, as it falls short of the challenge set out by the Levelling Up White Paper and the ambitions of local leaders for their residents and places.” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Through greater investment in local areas, we can grow the economy, create good jobs and spread opportunity everywhere. That’s why we are backing more than 100 projects with new transformational funding to level up local communities across the United Kingdom.” More about Levelling Up projects across the UK - from gov.uk
