More than £100m in Levelling Up funds heading to Lancashire

The government has announced a nine-figure funding boost to Lancashire, with Blackpool set to receive £90m and £20m going to Blackburn.

Blackpool's funds are sourced from Homes England’s Brownfield Infrastructure Land Fund programme and will spur vital regeneration projects in some of the resort's most deprived areas. 

The council initially received monies in 2022 to scale up local enforcement teams to tackle rogue landlords and improve housing standards in Blackpool.  The government also supported Homes England to work with the council and partners to prepare a business case for funding of a first phase of physical intervention to improve housing in the central area of Blackpool.

Coun Lynn Williams, leader of Blackpool Council, said: "Our residents and communities desperately need better housing and investment in their neighbourhoods, especially in the inner areas of Blackpool. We will use this funding to continue the process of positive change, improving housing, neighbourhoods and life chances across inner Blackpool.

"We want to create strong neighbourhoods - stable, thriving and sustainable neighbourhoods that have access to things like health services, decent jobs, quality housing, schools and leisure activities.  It is our vision that over time you will see the removal of housing that does not meet modern standards, with new and better housing created in its place, in better neighbourhoods, designed with the interests of Blackpool residents and businesses at their heart. We want people to love where they live."

The headline-grabber for Blackburn's funds will be the £8m renovation of its iconic King George's Hall venue. Further projects include Tony’s Ballroom, The Exchange and Imperial Mill.

Council leader Phil Riley said: "The good news for Blackburn with Darwen just keeps on coming! After a tremendous amount of work in developing a really strong investment package for our borough, the government has today announced £20m of new Levelling Up Funding for us which is just brilliant.

"This comes on the back of the council being named a Government Levelling Up Partner in the Budget last year and tops up the £40m we secured in 2023. Added to that, we have the Darwen Town Deal, the money we secured through the Youth Investment Fund, the UKSPF and more recently the chance to secure a further £20m for Darwen, as part of the Long Term Plan for Towns initiative, with more to come on completion of our Devo Deal with government too."