We know that the UK boasts a load of gorgeous towns and cities but there’s a bunch of other areas that, thanks to lack of funding, haven’t been able to reach their full potential. That could be about to change though.
It's been revealed that over 50 ‘overlooked’ towns in England, Scotland and Wales will receive £20 million each over a 10-year period to help give them a fresh lease of life. The priorities of the funding include tackling empty high streets, improving transport links, boosting visitor numbers and dealing with anti-social behaviour.
The announcement is part of the government's 'levelling up' scheme and comes as a gaggle of Tories gather in Manchester for the Conservative Party Conference this week. Revealing the plans, prime minister Rishi Sunak said: ‘Towns are the place most of us call home and where most of us go to work.
‘But politicians have always taken towns for granted and focused on cities.
‘The result is the half-empty high streets, rundown shopping centres and anti-social behaviour that undermine many towns’ prosperity and hold back people’s opportunity — and without a new approach, these problems will only get worse.
‘That changes today. Our Long-Term Plan for Towns puts funding in the hands of local people themselves to invest in line with their priorities, over the long-term. That is how we level up.'
Among the 55 towns due to enjoy a glow-up over the next decade are Hastings in the south, Scarborough in the north, Barry in Wales and Dumfries up in Scotland.
But there are members of the opposition that are a bit sus about the move. Angela Rayner, Labour’s shadow levelling up secretary, said: ‘It takes a special kind of arrogance for a prime minister caught on tape boasting that he had swiped money from “deprived urban areas” to now expect local people to be grateful for a promise to hand a tiny fraction of it back.’
Here’s the full list of towns set to receive the funding:
Mansfield
Boston
Worksop
Newark-on-Trent
Chesterfield
Skegness
Clifton (Nottingham)
Spalding
Kirkby-in-Ashfield
Clacton-on-Sea
Great Yarmouth
Eston
Jarrow
Washington
Blyth (Northumberland)
Hartlepool
Spennymoor
Darwen
Chadderton
Heywood
Ashton-under-Lyne
Accrington
Leigh (Wigan)
Farnworth
Nelson (Pendle)
Scarborough
Kirkby
Burnley
Hastings
Bexhill-on-Sea
Ryde
Smethwick
Darlaston
Bilston (Wolverhampton)
Dudley
Grimsby
Torquay
Castleford
Doncaster
Rotherham
Barnsley
Scunthorpe
Keighley
Dewsbury
Merthyr Tydfil
Cwmbrân
Wrexham
Barry (Vale of Glamorgan)
Dumfries
Greenock
Irvine
Kilmarnock
Coatbridge
Clydebank
Elgin
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