Local communities will be handed new powers to revitalise their high streets and restore pride in their towns, according to new plans dubbed the \u2018Pride in Place\u2019 Programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Government writes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
People will be given the power to revitalise their neglected high streets, create new spaces for young people and take back control of derelict pubs, to breathe new life into neglected communities up and down the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Communities will be handed new powers to seize boarded up shops, save their treasured local pubs or libraries and clean up the eyesores in their area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Local people will finally have the powers to put things right after years of decline \u2013 an inheritance the government is determined to fix through the Plan for Change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is about choosing a future where communities are empowered to come together, rather than be divided, and where renewal is chosen over decline.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer will unveil the Pride in Place programme \u2013 an unprecedented programme backed by record funding \u2013 that lets local people call the shots on where and how money is spent in their communities, restoring local pride and helping them reclaim their streets.?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For far too long, communities have been dictated to rather than in control of their own destiny. This week marks a new way of governing. By choosing renewal over decline, this government is delivering lasting change working people will feel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed said:<\/strong> <\/strong>\u2018When people step out of their front doors, they know their communities are struggling. They see shuttered pubs, fading high streets and their local areas in decline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018Yes, communities have been stretched \u2013 but they haven\u2019t given up. They\u2019re working hard to make things better, and we\u2019re backing them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018The Government is putting power into their hands so local people decide how best to restore pride in their neighbourhoods, not us in Westminster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018That\u2019s what real patriotism looks like: building up our communities and choosing renewal over division.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n The nationwide Pride in Place programme \u2013 which will be unveiled by the Prime Minister (Thursday, 25 September) \u2013 will deliver a record investment and support over 330 communities in total. It will tackle deep-rooted deprivation and regional inequality through wide-ranging action, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Further information<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We are looking at new powers that would give communities more control over where betting shops can open, and how many there can be in one area. This is about giving people a say over their high street, particularly where there are high numbers of these types of shop already, not blocking these shops altogether. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We are also looking at accelerating ways communities can take ownership of empty shops – helping to give them a greater say over what\u2019s on their high streets, so they don\u2019t just end up with rows of vape shops, gambling shops and barbers. The government is already bringing in new laws to crack down on dodgy vape shops through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We will only approve spending if Pride in Place Boards have genuinely engaged their communities, so that community groups, local organisations and social clubs have been included in decisions on how the money should be spent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We are announcing a raft of new powers and programmes to empower communities across the UK. Please note that some powers and programmes will not apply in every nation of the UK. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Pride in Place funding will be delivered in England, Scotland and Wales, with corresponding funding provided to Northern Ireland. The government will be working closely with the Scottish and Welsh Governments to design specific programmes which put the principles of the strategy of community engagement at the centre. Further detail on Northern Ireland, including support for Belfast, will follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n