16 Scottish LAs backed by Scotland Office to revitalise communities as part of our Plan for Change, with spending decisions in the hands of local people
Local communities are at the heart of Scottish life - and the Scotland Office is backing them with millions of pounds to improve the opportunities and environment for people across the country, the Prime Minister announced today.
The Pride in Place programme will see up to £280 million shared among 12 Scottish local authorities to precisely target areas which can benefit most from funding being made available for a wide range of regeneration projects. Across the UK 169 of the most-in-need communities will benefit.
This includes revitalising high streets and town centres, preserving local heritage, providing housing, creating jobs, boosting productivity and skills, improving health and well-being, creating new transport links, providing education and opportunity and improving safety and security.
And a Pride in Place Impact Fund will see eight local authorities share £12 million to fund the types of changes people have said they want to see. These could include new green spaces, play areas and town centre revitalisation to sports and leisure facilities and the improvement and ownership of key community assets. Across the UK a total of 95 areas will receive this capital funding.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
For too long, people have watched their towns and streets decline - powerless to stop boarded-up shops and neglected parks. That ends now.
We're investing in the UK's future, by backing the true patriots that build our communities up in neighbourhoods across every corner of the country. Because it's people who bring pride, hope and life to our communities.
This is a huge investment, but what matters most is who decides how it's spent: the neighbours, volunteers and parents who know their communities best - the people with real skin in the game.
We're choosing renewal over decline, unity over division. This is our Plan for Change in action - giving power and pride back to the people who make Britain great.
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said:
The UK Government is committed to delivering a decade of national renewal for Scotland. Through the Pride in Place programmes we're announcing today, the UK Government will provide 14 places in Scotland with up to £20 million over 10 years and eight Scottish local authorities with £1.5 million over two years.
We are providing almost £300 million new direct investment to local authority areas to revitalise local communities. The UK Government will be working with local partners to deliver economic growth and l see these improvements made to communities up and down Scotland making them even greater places to live, work and play.
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed said:
Building pride in place starts with people, not politics. Local people know what they want to see in their neighbourhoods - and they don't need government to dictate it.
This plan will spark an historic grassroots movement that will restore local people's power, boost national pride and help people get on in life across the UK as part of our Plan for Change.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said:
We're giving local people the power to transform their hometowns. Giving them more control of how money is spent where they live so that together we can invest in Britain's renewal and build an economy that rewards working people.
This £5 billion investment doesn't just reverse decades of underinvestment in our public infrastructure - it cuts through the bureaucracy by giving local people the power to deliver the change they want to see.
Around £200 million direct funding has already been committed for 10 Scottish towns in the Plan for Neighbourhoods scheme announced earlier this year.
This is being extended in the Pride in Place programme so a further 14 places in Scotland will benefit from up to £20 million each over 10 years.
Local people in the existing 10 Scottish towns are already having their say over how to improve their community:
● In Elgin more than 1,000 ideas have already been submitted, including tackling empty shops, revamping the town shopping centre.
● In Peterhead people are ramping up CCTV in the town centre to tackle anti-social behaviour and investing in indoor sports and leisure facilities.
The new Pride in Place Impact Fund will see eight Scottish local authorities receive £1.5 million each over two years.
