£60m levelling up funding for region – but most bids fall flat
Parts of the Black Country and Staffordshire have received £60million in levelling up funding – but most areas did not receive a penny.
The Government has today announced which parts of the country will receive a share of £2.1billion from the second round of the levelling up fund.
Walsall Council will receive £20m towards its plans to regenerate Willenhall, Sandwell Council gets £20m for a new leisure centre, and £19.8m was awarded for improvements to roads and bus and cycling routes in Staffordshire.
However, they were the only successful bids out of around a dozen that were submitted by local authorities and MPs across the region.
It means Dudley will get no funding towards its masterplan for Lye, while Wolverhampton's bids for £40m towards the Bilston Health and Regeneration Programme and the Springfield Innovation Hub also came to nothing.
Lichfield's bid for cash for a new leisure centre was also rejected, as were three Sandwell bids totalling £60m for homes in Tipton, housing and a school in Smethwick and a youth centre in West Bromwich.
Local authorities worked with MPs to submit bids to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) for up to £20m for each parliamentary constituency.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the cash would be transformational for the West Midlands by creating jobs and "spreading opportunity everywhere".
It comes ahead of a third round of bidding, which is due to be announced in the coming days.
Eddie Hughes, Conservative MP for Walsall North, said the funding for Willenhall would provide a further boost to the town on the back of cash being secured for a new railway station.
He said: "This money will breathe new life into the town by bringing derelict sites back into use, creating affordable homes for local families, making Willenhall a great place to live and work."
The plans include more than 500 new homes on old industrial sites, new green spaces and improved transport networks as part of a regeneration project totalling £210m.
The successful Sandwell bid will see the redevelopment of Haden Hill Leisure Centre, on Barrs Road, Cradley Heath.
James Morris, Conservative MP for Halesowen & Rowley Regis, said: "I am pleased that the application for the redevelopment of Haden Hill Leisure Centre was successful, and I’m sure the news will be welcomed by the local community.
"It will help to get more people fit and active, which brings benefits not just for physical health but mental health too.
"Maintenance costs have increased significantly on the existing centre, and I look forward to work starting on the new facility."
Jane Stevenson, Tory MP for Wolverhampton North East, said she had met with Levelling Up Minister Dehenna Davison to discuss why Wolverhampton's two bids were unsuccessful.
She said: "Obviously I am disappointed but I was pleased to hear there will be a third round of bids announced soon.
"I will be working with DLUHC to see where Wolverhampton's bids fell short, and I hope the council will then be able to revise and resubmit our bids for the next round.
"The minister recognised that our city's bids had merit and had been shortlisted, so I am hopeful that with some minor changes we will get them over the line next time.
"We have seen huge government investment into our city with successful bids for Towns Fund, Future High Streets Fund, City Learning Quarter and National Brownfield Institute.
"I will always push for more investment into our city and I look forward to improving the submission for the third round.
"The stretch of canal between Springfield Brewery and the Science Park is ripe for redevelopment to provide jobs and homes, and I will now work with the council to make sure this project happens."
Staffordshire County Council's successful bid will help to kickstart major roadworks including the A38.
It will also fund new environmentally friendly buses on the 74 and 875 routes between Stafford and Cannock, as well as new walking and cycling routes in Stafford and Cannock.
Across the UK more than 100 bids have been signed off.
The highest number of successful bids came from councils in the North West, which were given around £300m for 15 projects.
In round one of the funding, announced last year, Wolverhampton Council and Cannock Chase District Council were the only two successful applicants in our region.
