On 27 July 2019 the Prime Minister announced that the £3.6
billion Towns Fund would support an initial 100 town deals
across England.
The fund is part of the Government’s plan to level up our
regions and create a more united country, one where people
throughout the UK can benefit from our shared prosperity.
This Government is committed to decentralise funding and
decisions away from Whitehall. We have invested in the
growth of local economies and devolving powers through
agreeing ambitious City and Growth Deals, devolving more
than £9 billion of funding to Local Enterprise Partnerships
and introducing eight metro mayors in England.
However, many towns have not benefited from city-focused
investment and we know that for the country to succeed,
every place must play its part.
Last week I announced the 100 places I will be inviting to
develop proposals for town deals. These include towns that
are birthplaces of industry, that have been centres of
commerce for centuries and that are bastions of the
maritime economy along our coastline.
These are famous towns with great histories that
unfortunately do not feel they have received benefits from
the growth we are seeing elsewhere in the UK economy.
That is why we will work with these places to develop
proposals for transformative investments in infrastructure,
skills and culture through the Towns Fund. These deals will
include the new homes, improved transport and broadband
connectivity that towns need, as well as social and
cultural infrastructure - from libraries and art centres to
parks and vital public services. These investments will
boost productivity and sustainably raise living standards,
bringing communities together and giving places new energy
and life.
We know that every place is different. That is why we will
work with towns across the country to listen and give
greater power to communities when developing innovative
proposals for their area. I want Government to better
understand the local assets towns have and the challenges
they face. It will be through the Towns Fund that we can
support these places to harness their unique strengths for
future growth and community resilience.
We want to make sure that all parts of the UK can benefit
from resources to boost productivity and living standards.
We are in ongoing discussions with colleagues across Her
Majesty’s Government about how we can better support our
towns in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and make sure
areas throughout the UK share in the opportunities of
Brexit.
I will publish a Towns Fund prospectus shortly in order to
provide greater detail on how the fund will operate. This
document will set out eligibility criteria for funding and
the rigorous process by which proposals will be considered,
including our expectations for community involvement and
maximising the impact of spending. We will then begin
working with places across the country to support them in
developing their proposals for the future. Their best years
lie ahead of them.
The list of places I announced last week can be
found here.
