Communities across the country are set for major regeneration as the Government announces £319 million in new investment under its Pride in Place strategy – a long‑term plan to restore pride, opportunity and quality of life in neighbourhoods nationwide.
The funding will support high street renewal, new and upgraded children’s play spaces, long‑term community projects and innovative pilots to pool local public spending. Ministers say the package marks a significant step in shifting power to local people and backing the places that need investment the most.
Funding will also help deliver a summer of activities to boost footfall on high streets, coinciding with major cultural and sporting events, including the World Cup, which are expected to draw visitors and create local economic opportunities.
A further £18 million will go towards providing safe, high‑quality play spaces for children in 66 of the most deprived communities across England.
Funding will be used to build new or upgrade existing playgrounds, with priority areas selected based on:
- highest levels of income deprivation affecting children
- poorest access to safe play opportunities
Five pioneering projects will test a new model of pooled local public spending, bringing together councils, the NHS, schools and other agencies to work collaboratively rather than in silos.
These pilots will focus on:
- tackling the SEND challenge in Liverpool
- preventing youth offending in the North East
- supporting teenagers’ mental health in the Black Country
- helping adults facing multiple disadvantages in Doncaster
- getting young people into work in West Yorkshire