A political newsletter in i News on Friday (December 15) accused the government of ‘broken policy promises’ made to Blackpool and a lack of funding and investment.
We strongly reject these claims, and our investment in Blackpool speaks to our levelling up commitments.
Blackpool alone has received more than £100 million of levelling up funding since 2019 from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, as well as investment also helping to unlock a major £300 million development scheme.
This includes £40 million from the Levelling Up Fund Round 2 to create a state-of-the-art learning centre for over 1,000 people and £15m from Round 3 of the fund to transform Blackpool town centre, improving traffic flow, access to public transport, and infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians.
Further investment includes almost £40m for Blackpool’s Town Deal which is supporting the development of Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone, regenerating the Revoe Community Sports Village, modernising the famous Blackpool Illuminations, and redeveloping town centre buildings, amongst other regeneration activities.
Another £8 million was awarded to transform the Abingdon Street Post Office into a four-star hotel, £8.6m from the Getting Building Fund for the Houndshill Shopping Centre and Abingdon Street Market, and almost £6 million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to support skills and local businesses including support for The Platform youth hub on Cookson Street and help for unemployed people living in the most disadvantaged areas.
The Department has also provided £40 million to enable the Ministry of Justice to relocate the Blackpool Magistrates’ and Court buildings to unlock a major £300 million world-class and flagship leisure development scheme, set to bring up to 1,000 jobs into the town.
Blackpool is also benefiting from the Lancashire Devolution Deal announced at Autumn Statement, through which £20 million will be provided to Lancashire Combined County Authority along with a further £1 million to support the authority in the early stages of the deal. The Adult Education Budget will also be devolved as part of the deal.
And through our long term plan for housing we are investing in the homes places like Blackpool need.
The government is on track to meet the manifesto commitment of delivering one million homes over this Parliament – backed by £10 billion investment. Since 2010, we have delivered over 684,800 new affordable homes, including over 171,100 homes for social rent.
We know Blackpool has huge potential, and we’re supporting local communities to invest in its future and spread opportunity. That’s what levelling up is all about.