Disadvantaged: Greater London

(asked on 13th January 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to take into account in its policies the impact of the covid-19 outbreak in areas of East and North East London with relatively high levels of inequality and deprivation; and whether that sub-region will be allocated resources in line with other parts of the country that have comparable socio-economic conditions.


Answered by
Neil O'Brien Portrait
Neil O'Brien
This question was answered on 18th January 2022

Newham and Barking and Dagenham were identified as priority 1 areas for levelling up funding alongside other more deprived areas of the country. I am delighted that in the subsequent Round 1 competition, Newham and Tower Hamlets went on to be successful and will receive £49.1 million to deliver community enhancing projects. This includes Newham’s 15-minute neighbourhood project that will create innovative commercial and civic spaces, imaginative public realm, and sustainable transport infrastructure to provide the catalyst for inclusive growth.

In addition to this funding, the East and North East of London have benefitted from further funding commitments, including £510,000 of Community Renewal Funding for Unlocking Green Economy options in the south of Newham, £3 million of Getting Building Funding for 3 Miles Studio in Newham and an uplift to the ongoing programme of regeneration through our Olympic legacy, through £168.1 million for the East Bank Project on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park site.

Whilst some local Levelling Up Fund bids have been unsuccessful, we encourage bidders to reapply in round two which is to be opened in Spring 2022.

The Levelling Up Fund is only one element of levelling up, which means empowering local leaders and communities to drive real change; boosting living standards, particularly where they are lower; spreading opportunity and improving public services, particularly where they are weaker; and restoring local pride across the UK. Levelling up the UK does not mean levelling down London.

The Government will shortly be publishing the Levelling Up White Paper that builds on existing action being taken across Government, setting out a new policy regime that will drive change for years to come.

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