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Posted: Fri 7th Mar 2025
The government will provide funding of up to £20m each to 75 areas to spend on regenerating local features such as high streets, parks, youth clubs, cultural venues, libraries and health services.
The £1.5 billion Plan for Neighbourhoods is aimed at transforming "left behind" locations by improving local services and tackling issues such as crime.
Among the areas chosen are Scunthorpe in England, Irvine in Scotland, Wrexham in Wales, and Coleraine and Derry~Londonderry in Northern Ireland.
In each area, a new 'Neighbourhood Board' will bring together residents, local businesses, and grassroots campaigners to implement a new vision for their area and decide how to spend up to £20 million over 10 years. Example activities are repairs to pavements and high streets, setting up community grocers, running co-operatives and creating neighbourhood watch schemes.
The government has also published a list of regeneration powers that communities are encouraged to use, such as saving pubs by listing them as community assets, and using respect orders to tackle repeat offenders.
Deputy prime minister 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."
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."
Funding will be released from April 2025 with delivery investment starting in 2026. The government said locations were selected for funding after considering factors including rates of deprivation and healthy life expectancy.
The 75 areas 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
