Rejuvenation of Neglected Communities: A Potential Investment Worth $Millions - Could Your Area Be Included?
Rewritten Article:
Bringing Life Back to the Forgotten: Reviving Deprived Neighborhoods
A proposal is in the works to infuse millions into neglected areas that are at risk of falling behind government goals, as we've learned.
The budget approval will ultimately be a Treasury decision during the upcoming spending review, yet it's gained considerable backing among backbench MPs urging the government to revamp these regions, mirroring what Blair and Brown achieved for cities.
Reversing the Crisis: Latest in Politics
Labour MPs share the view with us that austerity is driving voters towards Reform UK, and investment is pivotal.
Inspired by the Independent Commission on Neighborhoods (IGN) report, 613 high-priority locations have been pinpointed – places that urgently require improvement on Keir Starmer's "five missions:" economy, crime, NHS, clean energy, and education.
Though the list hasn't been published, these areas largely cluster in northern cities like Manchester, Liverpool, Sunderland, and Newcastle, while coastal towns such as Blackpool, Clacton, and Great Yarmouth, as well as Midlands and southern pockets of high deprivation, are also highlighted as problematic.
Clacton, the seat of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, hopes to challenge Starmer in the next general election following his rising popularity.
However, Labour's Blackpool South MP Chris Webb asserts that this isn't about Reform – it's about investing where it's been ignored. In his words, "Places like Blackpool have been sidelined by successive governments for too long, and it's time to change that narrative." Webb plans to advocate for at least £1m in funding, stating that residents, understandably frustrated and angry, "deserve better."
The spending review, happening on June 11 (Rachel Reeves' first as chancellor and the first under a Labour government in over a decade), is seen as a critical juncture for these revitalization efforts. Southport MP Patrick Hurley asserts, "Investment in our areas is crucial to renew pride and boost living standards."
Another Labour backbencher, Jake Richards, solidarizes with this stance, claiming that Rother Valley, his constituency, has been severely impacted by deindustrialization and austerity. "Governments, regardless of color, have not done enough, and now social and economic deterioration is pushing voters towards Farage," he said. "We need a considerable investment program in deprived areas to tackle the root causes of Reform."
The ICON report underscores that zeroing in on neighborhoods is the most effective path to mission accomplishment and is likely to gain more voter support compared to national visions of transformation – a critique of the Tories' "failed levelling up agenda." The last major neighborhood policy initiative was New Labour's "New Deal for Communities" which focused on regenerating 39 of England's poorest areas, and while it narrowed inequalities on targeted outcomes and boasted a cost-benefit ratio, it was discontinued by the coalition government.
As a deputy prime minister and housing secretary, Angela Rayner has already announced a £1.5bn "Plan for Neighborhoods" to support investment in 75 areas over the next decade, with up to £20m available for each. According to a government source, expanding this program might depend on the spending review decision.
- The upcoming spending review, a crucial juncture for revitalization efforts, has sparked debates in politics over the budget allocation for deprived neighborhoods, as investment is considered vital to reverse the crisis and counter the growing influence of Reform UK.
- In the race for the general election, the revival of neglected regions has emerged as a key policy focus, with Labour MPs like Chris Webb advocating for funding in areas like Blackpool, long-ignored by successive governments, to change the narrative and improve living standards.
- The revival of deprived neighborhoods has become a focal point in policy-and-legislation discussions, with the Independent Commission on Neighborhoods (IGN) report highlighting 613 high-priority locations – including northern cities and coastal towns – that require substantial investment, echoing the success stories of Blair and Brown in urban revitalization.
