Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when Runcorn receive the initial allocation of funding from the Long Term Plan for Towns scheme.

As set out at the Autumn Budget, the Long-Term Plan for Towns will be retained and reformed as part of a new regeneration programme.

Halton Borough Council received an initial £50,000 capacity payment in April 2024.

Following feedback that the previous programme timelines were too short and not conducive to the level of engagement places wished to undertake with their communities, it was confirmed at Budget that we will make available a further £200,000 of capacity funding in the financial year 2025/26. This will support the development of plans in line with a revised prospectus that will be published in due course.

Delivery grant funding will therefore begin in the financial year 2026/27.