Thursday 10 June 2021

TWENTY SIX TOWNS TO SHARE 600MILLION

Investment will boost local economies, create jobs and new homes, and improve skills. Plans will transform public spaces, deliver green transport links and revamp cultural and tourist attractions. Part of government’s multi-billion levelling up programme 

 TWENTY-SIX TOWNS in England will share over £610 million to boost their local economies, create jobs and help them build back better from the pandemic. These new Towns Deals range from seaside towns like Hastings and Hartlepool to the historic market towns of Long Eaton and Bishop Auckland. The money will help them to grow their local economies, while also carving out new opportunities to reshape the look and feel of their areas. The Deals will help breathe new life into neglected areas or unused buildings by creating vibrant spaces for businesses, community events or much needed new homes. Sustainability is at the heart of many of the schemes with new greener transport infrastructure including cycle paths and pedestrian walkways that will connect areas in the greenest way possible. The Deals will also create thousands of jobs, with many towns investing in opportunities to improve skills through new vocational training hubs that will support high skilled and higher paid jobs in the area for local people. These landmark deals will see hundreds of millions of pounds invested in projects across England including £24.8 million for Long Eaton which includes:

Tackling the eyesore of Galaxy Row, Creating better connections between the town centre, Erewash Canal and West Park, Making better use of the park and the canal Making the Box Office into a cultural hub, Addressing the traffic issues at The Green

Local Member of Parliament, Maggie Throup said: “This £24.8 million is fantastic news for the residents and businesses of Long Eaton and represents the largest investment in regeneration that our town has ever seen. This award follows a tremendous amount of hard work by a dedicated group of volunteers, councillors and council officers and I was proud to be part of the bid. I would like to pay special tribute to Richard Ledger who gallantly chaired the group, ensuring we were able to submit a high quality bid which has now paid dividends.”

Communities Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said:  “We are levelling up towns and cities across the country by building stronger and more resilient local economies, boosting prosperity and opportunity in our communities, and helping them build back better from the pandemic.Today I am announcing new town deals in 26 areas, backed by over £610 million investment from the Towns Fund. This will support locally-led projects to transform disused buildings and public spaces, deliver new green transport and create new opportunities for people to develop new skills. This is a boost for communities and businesses across England.”

 Today’s announcement means that 79 Towns Deals have now been agreed - totalling over £2 billion investment in communities across England. This is part of comprehensive action by the government to level up opportunity and prosperity across all areas of the country, including through the £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund, the £220 million Community Renewal Fund and the £830 million Future High Streets Fund. Building successful, thriving communities is at the heart of the Government’s levelling up agenda.  As well as creating town centres that people want to work, rest and play in, the government is delivering the homes that people need where they need them, making home ownership a reality for many young people and key workers in the places they want to live. Last Friday the government announced the First Homes programme which provides a 30% discount to first time buyers.

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