Newcastle Labour has today welcomed news that Elswick and Waller will receive an EXTRA £20m each – £2m a year for a decade – with local people in the driving seat to decide how the cash is spent.
The money can be spent on anything from local park improvements to fixing up empty buildings and high streets, but it is up to the residents to decide what to do. The fund relies on locals in Elswick and Walker coming together to submit ideas for how to spend the £20million total and Newcastle Labour Group is calling on local people to send in their ideas or even volunteer to sit on a the board that helps coordinate the project.
Labour leader of Newcastle City Council, Cllr Karen Kilgour said,
“An extra £20m for both Elswick and Walker – directed by local people. That’s the Labour difference. No one in Westminster knows Newcastle better than the families and businesses who call this place home. That’s why this funding will make such a difference.
“It’s not just £2m a year for a decade. It’s £2m a year for a decade on our priorities – not decisions taken in Whitehall but action taken on the basis of what we really want.
“This is really significant additional investment – and whether we invest this money in high streets, parks, pubs or community centres is going to be up to local people. That’s why we’ll soon be in touch with local residents in the two areas to hear what you think about how this money should be spent.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
“For too long, people have watched their towns and streets decline – powerless to stop boarded-up shops and neglected parks. That ends now.
“We’re investing in the UK’s future, by backing the true patriots that build our communities up in neighbourhoods across every corner of the country. Because it’s people who bring pride, hope and life to our communities.
“This is a huge investment, but what matters most is who decides how it’s spent: the neighbours, volunteers and parents who know their communities best – the people with real skin in the game.
“We’re choosing renewal over decline, unity over division. This is our Plan for Change in action – giving power and pride back to the people who make Britain great.”