Responding to the Government announcement of a Stronger
Towns Fund, Campbell Robb, chief executive of the independent
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), said:
“The Government is right that many of our towns are in need
of investment to boost jobs and living standards. Since the
vote to leave the EU, it’s unacceptable that many places have
remained locked out of the country’s prosperity and there has
been too little action to address this. We need a series of
significant investments across the places that need it as part of
a long-term plan to transform prospects.
"The Stronger Towns Fund must not mean dipping into
the Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF), a manifesto commitment
made to towns and cities using money repatriated from the EU. A
consultation on the fund is long overdue and has left towns and
cities facing uncertainty as the Brexit withdrawal process saps
Whitehall attention.
“If the Government is serious about transforming towns, it
needs to set out its plans for the SPF now and bring serious
money to the table - not just a small pot to fix short-term
problems.”
Ends
Notes to Editors
-
In its 2017 manifesto, the Conservative party promised to
deliver a UK Shared Prosperity Fund with money repatriated from
the EU to support towns and cities. The money – known as EU
Structural Funds - has been committed until 2020 and is
worth £2.4 billion a year in EU and
national match funding. The £1.6 billion Stronger Towns
Fund will be spread over six
years.
-
JRF’s briefing on the
Shared Prosperity Fund shows how the fund
can be used to bring inclusive growth to places that have been
left behind by economic change.
