The Levelling Up fund was “nothing more than a beauty contest” pitting areas against one another according to the Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor.
Earlier this week it was confirmed only two areas of Merseyside would receive any funding from government as part of its £5bn pot to help overlooked areas of the UK in need of support with infrastructural and development projects. The cash reserve is a key part of the government’s Levelling Up agenda which helped deliver the Conservative’s general election victory in 2019. The Michael Gove-led Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities announced which applications had been successful on Wednesday evening.
Leaders from across the Liverpool City Region gave their reaction to the funding stream designations during a meeting of the combined authority this afternoon. Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said the distribution of cash “was as we all predicted, nothing more than a beauty contest.”
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He said: “Central government who have cut councils to the bone for 13 years are now pitting areas against one another for those desperately needed funds. The whole point of levelling up is supposed to be investing in areas that are left behind to narrow the yawning chasm that exists between areas in the country.
“Yet areas like Bootle, Liscard and West Everton and Huyton have been overlooked again in favour of areas the government wish to hold onto at the next general election.” Mr Rotheram congratulated St Helens and Knowsley councils for their success in securing cash for Earlestown and Halewood respectively, but described the bidding process as “fairly shambolic” and said the government needed to move towards long-term funding solutions.
He said the experience had left “a bitter taste in a lot of our mouths.” Cllr Janette Williamson, leader of Wirral Council, said the rejection of its £12m for Liscard town centre was “more than disappointing.” Cllr Williamson said she felt the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities had treated council leaders “appallingly” but it was “not the end of the line for Liscard.”
She said it was a “huge blow in our journey at the moment.” Cllr Graham Morgan, leader of Knowsley Council, said he had mixed emotions about the outcome, given the local authority had managed to bag cash for Halewood.
He said: “When you look at the Huyton and Prescot bids, they were very strong bids. It’s been five times now we’ve put in the Huyton town centre bid.
“We’ve already put a lot of money in but we need the government funding to carry on the exciting plans we’ve got.” Liverpool Council had put forward an application for cash to upgrade the West Everton area, in particular Great Homer Street Market and further enhance Paddington Village.
Both were turned down in this second round of cash grants from Whitehall. Deputy Mayor Cllr Frazer Lake, said the funding would have supported the most deprived areas and said its two bid sites were “in real need of levelling up.” He added that “politics shouldn’t play a part in the regeneration of our communities in making sure our residents have got the best lives they can have.”
Mr Rotheram said he would take the feelings of council leaders to Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
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