PM sets out new ‘County Deals’ to devolve power to local communities in levelling up speech

Today the Prime Minister set out his vision on how the government would deliver on the central purpose of his premiership – to level up and unite the whole of the United Kingdom.

Speaking from the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) in Coventry, the Prime Minister outlined the challenges that we face and opportunities we must grasp to make sure that we build back better following the pandemic.

The Prime Minister set out the catalytic role for government and the need to:

• Empower strong local leaders by taking a more flexible approach to devolution, with new ‘County Deals’
• Focus on growing the private sector by creating the conditions for long-term growth and productivity;
• Invest in infrastructure and connectivity;
• Ensure that people have access to good public services, and the skills and training needed to get good jobs; and
• Improve the quality of life in communities through cutting crime and regenerating towns and high streets

Ahead of the publication of the White Paper in the Autumn, which will include more details on the government’s approach, the Prime Minister also used this opportunity to announce a series of interventions to help deliver the aim of levelling up the UK.

Devolution

New 'County Deals' to take devolution beyond the largest cities, offering the rest of England the same powers metro mayors have gained over things like transport, skills and economic support.

County Deals will be bespoke to the needs of individual places, bringing decisions closer to people and places, potentially allowing more places to benefit from strong, high profile local champions. County Deals will give places the tools they need to pilot new ideas, create jobs, drive growth and improve public services.

Further detail will be set out in the Levelling Up White Paper, but as the Prime Minister set out, county deals will not be one size fits all, and government will take a flexible approach to allow more places to agree devolution.

Towns Deals

15 new Towns Deals for Birkenhead, Bloxwich, Blyth, Crewe, Darwen, Dudley, Grays, Millom, Nelson, Newhaven, Runcorn, St Helens, Stainforth, Tilbury and Todmorden.

Government funding will enable these areas to invest in their local economies, implementing proposals submitted to the government’s Towns Fund, which is designed to create jobs and reshape our towns and cities into places where businesses and communities can thrive.

All 101 initial places announced in September 2019 have now been allocated funding.

Local Community

New funding of £50m next year for grassroots football pitches to enable more people to access high-quality football pitches. This investment will be targeted at left-behind communities and will help to address health inequalities, as well as ensuring more people can play our nation’s sport.

The £150m Community Ownership Fund, which gives people across the UK the chance to become owners of their local pubs or football teams, launches today. Communities in all four nation will be able to bid for up to £250,000 matched funding to buy or take over local assets and run them as community-owned businesses, including local pubs, theatres, post offices, sports grounds and corner shops, saving them from risk of closure.

High Streets

The regeneration of the high street is a key part of the Prime Minister’s plan to level up with a new High Streets Strategy to support them to thrive by adapting to changing economic trends.

Al fresco dining will become the norm, with pavement licences to be extended and then made permanent, making it easier and cheaper for pubs, restaurants and cafes to set up tables outside and serve more customers.

Takeaway pints will continue for another 12 months as the temporary permissions for off-sales of alcohol are extended in England and Wales. This will give a further boost to the hospitality industry as local residents enjoy a great British summer together outdoors.

Empty high street properties will be brought back into use as new businesses or homes as places take advantage of use flexibilities introduced as part of government’s planning reform programme.

The government will launch a war on graffiti and litter. £10m will be invested in removing chewing gum litter and gum stains from our high streets, with money raised directly from producers as part of efforts to get them to take more responsibility for gum litter. Planning rules will be reviewed so that new fast food outlets have to clean up litter they generate. And government will encourage councils to take a more hands-on approach to cleaning up graffiti, supported by a £2m graffiti war chest, with offenders now doing high visibility clean-up of graffiti, litter and fly-tipping.

Finally, there will be a UK-wide National High Streets Day where local communities across the UK come together to clean up and celebrate their high street, driving footfall and spend. This will take place when Covid-19 restrictions allow.

City Region Sustainable Transport Fund

Launching the £4.2 billion City Region Sustainable Transport Fund, announced at Budget. This is for eight English city regions for London-style transport settlements to begin the process of bringing their local transport systems up to the standard of the capital’s.

West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, West Yorkshire, Tees Valley, the North East and the West of England will receive a share of the money which could help fund contactless ticketing, new metro or light rail systems, significant improvements in local rail and bus services, new cycle lanes, and measures to tackle congestion and pollution.

This new money is alongside that available to these and other areas from our £4.8bn Levelling Up Fund, Major Road Network funds, electric vehicle infrastructure and the PM’s announcement of £5bn for buses and cycling.

Notes to Editors

MHCLG will be issuing further information on the High Streets Strategy and Towns Fund.

DfT will issue guidance for the City Region Sustainable Transport Fund tomorrow.