The Government’s new flagship Levelling Up Fund will
prioritise the Chancellor’s own local authority, an affluent area ranked in the
top fifth of most prosperous places in England by the Government’s own
deprivation scale, for regeneration funding ahead of Southwark, ranked as the
43rd most deprived.
The
Chancellor’s own local authority of Richmondshire, as well as the constituencies
of four other members of the Cabinet, are prioritised to bid for Levelling Up
Funding.
Newark
and Sherwood, Pembrokeshire, Dumfries and Galloway and Great Yarmouth local
authorities, which include the constituencies of the Chancellor, the Communities
Secretary Robert Jenrick, Welsh Secretary Simon Hart, Scottish Secretary
Allister Jack and Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis respectively, were
all included in the first tier of eligibility for priority funding, under plans
announced by the Chancellor at the Budget.
Their
areas were selected for funding ahead of authorities such as Southwark and
Lambeth, despite both boroughs according to the Government’s own statistics
having some of the highest levels of disadvantage in the country.
The
Government will put MPs at the centre of the bidding process for the Levelling
Up Fund, leading to fears of a conflict of interest as Conservative Ministers
funnel money away from areas with higher levels of need towards their own
constituencies.
Labour
has demanded the Government publish the metrics used to determine areas for
priority funding. Bids will be determined by the Ministry of Housing,
Communities and Local Government.
The
news follows months of controversy after a town in the Communities Secretary’s
own constituency, Newark, was selected for funding as part of the £3.6 billion
Towns Fund by the then communities minister Jake Berry, while Jenrick selected
Darwen, in Berry’s constituency.
Ministers at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and
Local Government, will determine bids under a number of criteria.
Cllr Kieron Williams, Leader of Southwark Council
said:
“As
we come out of this global and national crisis we need funding for every
region, but it is crucial that it is done fairly and with a say for local
communities. Instead the Government is pitting regions and nations against each
other for money that should reach communities as a matter of course.
“Labour
is calling on the government to invest in the public transport infrastructure,
green energy, town centre renewal and innovation that will not just get our
economy going again, but improve all of our lives and help tackle the climate
emergency too. This includes projects like the Bakerloo Line Extension
that could unlock thousands of jobs and homes in Southwark.
“Piecemeal
pots of funding do not make up for a decade of cuts to local communities: it
just highlights this Government’s failure to bring prosperity to our cities and
regions.”