More funding needed to make levelling up work, says UWL report
More funding needed to make levelling up work, says UWL report
More money is needed to support deprived areas in levelling up with funding failing to address major needs, a new report from the University of West London has found.
The analysis from UWL’s Centre for Inequality and Levelling Up (CEILUP) highlights that the majority of England’s most deprived areas did not receive any funding in the first round of the government’s Levelling Up Fund – and for many of those who did, sums do not make up for a decade of cuts.
Released ahead of a government White Paper on the issues, ‘Levelling Up Funding: The Story so far’ brings together analysis of the government’s Levelling Up Fund and UK Community Renewal Funds.
It was found that allocations so far have focused on more deprived areas and ex-industrial regions, with funding disproportionately allocated to urban areas at the expense of more rural communities.
Moreover, five of the country’s 10 most deprived areas – Blackpool, Knowsley, Barking & Dagenham, Hackney and Sandwell – have not received any of the funds.
Professor Graeme Atherton, Head of CEILIP, said:
It is essential that if the government’s work on levelling up is to have the maximum impact that the forthcoming White Paper contains a commitment to more investment that reaches in particular the areas in the country in the most need."
The report is the third in a series of briefs from the Centre monitoring the progress of the government’s work.
- Find out more via our CEILUP page.
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