First round of £4.8bn Levelling Up Fund begins

04/03/2021 | WILLIAM EICHLER

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has confirmed that the first round of the £4.8bn Levelling Up Fund will be available to local areas to help tackle regional inequalities.

Mr Sunak’s Budget aims to deliver on the Conservatives' 2019 manifesto commitment to invest more in northern constituencies with the aim of closing the economic gap between the North and the South.

In the Budget, which was formulated against the backdrop of the pandemic, he emphasised the importance of ‘redrawing our economic map’ and changing the country’s ‘economic geography’.

To this end, he confirmed that the first round of the levelling up fund, which was announced at the last Spending Review, will be available for local areas to submit bids for the first round of funding starting in 2021-22.

The Treasury will make £4bn available for England and £800m for communities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This now includes £800m that was to be allocated to devolved administrations but will now be subject to decisions taken in Westminster.

In his foreword to the Levelling Up Fund Prospectus, Mr Sunak wrote: 'While the Fund is open to every local area, it is especially intended to support investment in places where it can make the biggest difference to everyday life, including ex-industrial areas, deprived towns and coastal communities.’

He continued: ‘It is also designed to help local areas select genuine local priorities for investment by putting local stakeholder support, including the local MP where they want to be involved, at the heart of its mission. Local areas across the UK share similar needs, so the Fund will be delivered in partnership with local areas across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.’

The document states: The Fund will focus investment in projects that require up to £20m of funding. However, there is also scope for investing in larger high value transport projects, by exception. Bids above £20m and below £50m will be accepted for transport projects only, such as road schemes, and can be submitted by any bidding local authority.

'They will be subject to a more detailed business case process and will need to score highly overall. Local authorities may wish to consider pooling funding from their bids in order to improve the chance of taking forward a larger transport scheme.'

Mr Sunak’s promise of a multi-million-pound fund to tackle regional inequality has been criticized by the think tank IPPR North as being too much of a centralised fix which forces combined and local authorities to go to the Government ‘cap in hand’.

Jonathan Werran,chief executive of local government think tank Localis, cautioned that the Budget will be judged on what happens in the aftermath of the lockdown.

‘Last year there was much talk of a modern day “Marshall Plan” to target investment where it was most needed and would deliver the greatest growth dividends,’ he said.

‘So in this context, the recovery will succeed or fail in how efficiently and directly these cash pots – whether the £5bn high street fund, the new wave of town deals, the Levelling Up or UK Shared Prosperity funds – are parcelled out to local delivery agents and put to immediate good use in restoring place prosperity.’

This article first appeared on localgov.co.uk.

Highways InProfile

latest magazine issue
Highways jobs

Senior Technician-Road Closures

£35,422 - £38,730
The Network Planning division is seeking to appoint someone who is enthusiastic and a team player Derbyshire
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council

Technician - Road Closures (2 Posts)

£29,719 - £31,691
The Network Planning division is seeking to appoint someone who is enthusiastic, an excellent team player Derbyshire
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council

Structures Inspector

£Competitive
We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for two Permanent Structure Inspectors to join our dynamic SBIM team Bristol
Recruiter: Amey

Highways Maintenance Operative

£Competitive
We have fantastic opportunities for a permanent Highways Maintenance Operatives Kettering, Northamptonshire
Recruiter: Amey

Site Manager

£Competitive
We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for a Permanent Site Manager Bristol
Recruiter: Amey

Principal Commercial Manager

£Competitive
The SBIM contract involves delivering inspection and maintenance programmes for National Highways Bristol
Recruiter: Amey

Senior Commercial Manager

£Competitive
We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for a Permanent Senior Commercial Manager Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Recruiter: Amey

Highways Maintenance Operative

£Competitive
We have fantastic opportunities for a permanent Highways Maintenance Operatives. Northampton, Northamptonshire
Recruiter: Amey

Managing QS

£Competitive
In this role, you will support the Senior Commercial team in the end to end commercial process for the Area 12 contract. Yorkshire and the Humber
Recruiter: Amey

Highways Inspection Officer

£32,962 - £36,791 per annum
We have an exciting opportunity for a Highways Inspection Officer to join us! Windsor, Berkshire
Recruiter: The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead

Highways Technical Assistant

£29,064 - £31,537
Are you looking for a varied role in a dynamic and innovative team environment that can make a real difference to North Yorkshire’s highways? Leeming Bar, Northallerton
Recruiter: North Yorkshire Council

Street Lighting Electrical Inspector

£34,434 - £38,220 per annum
Do you hold an ONC in electrical engineering or City & Guilds Electrician? Northallerton, North Yorkshire
Recruiter: North Yorkshire Council

Senior bridge Engineer - WMF2212e

£47,181 - £48,226
You will be the key responsible engineer for this area and will also provide technical advice and guidance to our team Cumbria / Various
Recruiter: Westmorland and Furness Council

Civil Enforcement Officer - WMF2221e

£28,598 - £29,540
Are you seeking an active and challenging role, part of a friendly and welcoming team? Kendal, Cumbria
Recruiter: Westmorland and Furness Council

Bridge Engineer - WMF2219e

£42,839 - £44,075
We are currently seeking to recruit an experienced and enthusiastic Bridge Engineer Kendal, Cumbria
Recruiter: Westmorland and Furness Council

Senior Public Transport Officer

£42,839 - £46,142
We are looking for an experienced public transport professional to become our Senior Public Transport Officer. Northamptonshire
Recruiter: North Northamptonshire Council

Principal Transport Planner (Strategy) (Fixed-Term)

£48,226-£51,356
We are looking for an experienced professional to join as a Principal Transport Planner (Strategy) Northampton, Northamptonshire
Recruiter: North Northamptonshire Council

Mobile Street Scene Operative

£24,796 to £25,989 per annum
The Waste and Street Scene department requires enthusiastic and committed mobile street cleansing operative. Northallerton, North Yorkshire
Recruiter: North Yorkshire Council

Senior Technician - Highways Design (2 Posts)

Grade 10 £35,422 - 38,730 per annum
An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Professional Services Section Derbyshire
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council

Project Engineer External Contracts

Grade 11 £39,865 - 43,270 per annum
You will lead a team of Clerks of Works Derbyshire
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Latest Video

Subscribe to Highways today to ensure you keep your finger on the pulse of everything happening in the UK road network throughout the year.

SUBSCRIBE NOW