Local people to get more say on where £20m regeneration cash aimed at revitalising Carlton will be spent

Local people are set to have a greater say on where £20m of government cash being awarded to help revitalise Carlton will be spent under new neighbourhood plans.

Gedling MP Michael Payne today (4) confirmed that the funding has now been officially agreed, with Carlton receiving a share of a £1.5 billion pot as part of the government’s Plan for Neighbourhoods.

Carlton is one of 75 towns set to receive funding and specialist support to breathe new life into communities – with the money expected to be handed over later this year.

As part of the Plan for Neighbourhoods, a new Neighbourhood Board will be set up in Carlton, bringing together residents, businesses and community campaigners. The board will decide how to spend the funding, choosing from options that include rejuvenating high streets, local parks, youth clubs, cultural venues and health services.

It was announced last year that money from the Conservative’s Towns Fund would be awarded to Carlton following a campaign by previous Gedling MP MP Tom Randall.

But Ministers have criticised the scheme’s ‘unfunded and failed approach’ saying local communities were being ‘micro-managed from Whitehall’ and forced to spend money on improvements that didn’t deliver long-term change.

Labour said this new funding scheme instead recognises that communities often ‘have the answers to the local problems they face’ and should be given more control over what they spend their money on.

MP Michael Payne welcomed the news and said teh cash would ‘unleash the enormous potential we have locally’.

“The previous government promised Carlton funding that simply didn’t exist. When I was elected as Gedling’s MP I promised to fight for real cash for our local area – I’m pleased to have secured up to £20 million of real funding for communities in Carlton.

“Today’s announcement means more control in the hands of local people, and less micro-management from central government and I look forward to supporting the work of the Neighbourhood Board as we deliver for residents.”

Angela Rayner, Deputy Prime Minister and the secretary of state responsible for local government said: “For years, too many neighbourhoods have been starved of investment, despite their potential to thrive and grow. Communities across the UK have so much to offer – rich cultural capital, unique heritage but most of all, an understanding of their own neighbourhood.

“We will do things differently, our fully funded Plan for Neighbourhoods puts local people in the driving seat of their potential, having control of where the Whitehall cash goes – what issues they want to tackle, where they want to regenerate and what growth they want turbocharge.”

The Conservatives criticised the funding plans as “wasteful pet projects”.

“Local areas are feeling increased pressure due to immigration, increased council tax and Labour changing the local government finance settlement to benefit urban areas over rural areas,” Shadow housing secretary Kevin Hollinrake said.

“Labour erased the phrase ‘levelling up’ from government and instead of delivering for local communities are now spending taxpayer cash on wasteful pet projects this country can’t afford.”