Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what changes have been made to (a) funding for individual projects and (b) the total quantum of funding for cultural projects allocated levelling up funding prior to July 2024; and if he will list the projects for which funding was cancelled.
The Levelling Up Fund committed £4.8 billion to mixed use projects under the themes of regeneration, transport and culture. In September this government announced the consolidation of the Levelling Up, Towns and Pathfinder funds into a single, consolidated funding pot, the Local Regeneration Fund. This fund honoured all funding from the constituent programmes; providing local authorities with greater flexibility, more local control and less bureaucracy, freeing them up to get on with delivery impacts in our communities across the UK.
An additional £99.8 million of funding was awarded to Levelling Up cultural projects announced by the previous administration at the Spring Budget 2024. Due to the extremely challenging fiscal legacy and unfunded commitments this government inherited these projects were consulted upon, confirming £67 million of funding to 10 projects across the UK and withdrawing funding for six Local Authorities: Maldon, Redditch, High Peak, Erewash, Somerset and Northamptonshire being withdrawn.
In September this government announced the consolidation of the Levelling Up, Towns and Pathfinder funds into a single, consolidated funding pot, the Local Regeneration Fund. This fund honoured all funding from the constituent programmes; providing local authorities with greater flexibility, more local control and less bureaucracy, freeing them up to get on with delivery impacts in our communities across the UK.