Blackpool to get £20m community boost - but MP Chris Webb says South Shore deserves its share too
Blackpool is set for a major regeneration boost, with £20 million in government funding to revitalise neighbourhoods - but one local MP says South Shore must not be left behind.
Under the Government’s new Pride in Place programme, Layton and Grange Park will receive £20 million in guaranteed long-term funding over the next decade, along with an extra £1.5 million to fund immediate improvements to high streets, shared spaces and public areas.
The programme - described as the biggest transfer of power from Westminster to local communities in history - will put residents at the centre of decision-making.
Communities will have the power to buy back local assets such as pubs and green spaces, turn derelict buildings into homes or youth centre, and even block unwanted shops like betting or vape stores.
Blackpool South MP Chris Webb welcomed the announcement, calling it a “game-changer” for the town.
But he also said that more must be done to support South Shore, which faces some of the toughest challenges in the country.
“This £20 million for Layton and Grange Park, alongside £1.5 million in immediate funding, is a game-changer for our town,” he said.
“For too long, decline was forced on Blackpool by governments who pulled away investment and expected us to just accept it.
“Now, for the first time in decades, local people will have the power to decide our future.”
He added: “But we must go further. South Shore faces some of the toughest challenges in Britain – higher crime, worse health and fewer opportunities for young people.
“If £20 million can help transform Layton and Grange Park, then South Shore deserves the same chance.”
The Government says Pride in Place is designed to tackle deep-rooted inequality in more than 330 of the UK’s most deprived neighbourhoods, giving people a real say in how money is spent and how their communities are shaped
Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, said: “When people step out of their front doors, they know their communities are struggling. They see shuttered pubs, fading high streets and their local areas in decline.
“Yes, communities have been stretched – but they haven’t given up. They’re working hard to make things better, and we’re backing them.
“The Government is putting power into their hands so local people decide how best to restore pride in their neighbourhoods, not us in Westminster.
“That’s what real patriotism looks like: building up our communities and choosing renewal over division.”