Although Wigan found success in getting £20 million in funding for the historic Haigh Hall, there was a whiff of disappointment in the borough following the two rejections for Leigh and Ashton town centre. The plan for Ashton was for a multifunctional square in the centre that could be home to a range of community, social and entrepreneurial activities to boost productivity and restore a sense of community.
This would go alongside the introduction of greenery and lights along Garswood Street and Gerard Street. One of the key aspects for Ashton was traffic control - which the £7.2 million bid would go towards stopping.
Improvements include infrastructure upgrades to Old Road and Wigan Road which aim to reduce traffic movements in the residential area through a series of active neighbourhood measures, crossing facility upgrades and connection improvements.
A total of 111 areas have been awarded funding from the second of the government’s flagship Levelling Up Fund, providing greater investment in communities that will create new jobs, drive economic growth. The Government believe this would help restore people’s pride in the places where they live, and spread opportunity more equally.
Coun Danny Fletcher and MP Yvonne Fovargue who represent Ashton in the council and Parliament respectively, have expressed their disappointment at the outcome.
“Extremely disappointing that Ashton’s levelling up bid was rejected by the government this morning. We had a solid proposal that would have massively improved Ashton centre, including much needed improvements to buildings and roads.
“How they’ve rejected it baffles me,” Coun Fletcher said.
Yvonne Fovargue, MP for Makerfield, said: “A lot of hard work went into preparing the bid for Ashton, so it is disappointing to learn today that the bid failed to secure the funding. I note that a further round of funding will be available and I hope that a revised bid can be submitted at that time.
“Ultimately, local communities across the North have been stripped of funding over the past 13 years and this latest decision is yet further evidence of a failing Government whose warm words on levelling up are just that – hot air!”
In Leigh, disappointment was rife, as the funding sought to spruce up the town’s Civic Square and walkways with nature trails and social hubs. Both leader and deputy leader of the council Coun Dave Molyneux and Coun Keith Cunliffe expressed their deep disappointment that this would not come to fruition this time around.
Leigh’s £11.4 million bid also included plans for shop front improvements to replace ‘tired areas’ of the town centre and an overhaul of Leigh’s market hall. However, Coun Molyneux has stated that they would prepare bids for Ashton and Leigh town centre in the next round of Levelling Up funding.
Expressing his own dismay at the situation, Coun Dane Anderton, lead Member for District Centres and Night Time Economy, said: “What we now have is no Government investment to kickstart key transformations; an uncertain future on levelling up as a policy and a Tory MP who has brought no money whatsoever into Leigh since 2019.
“We now have nothing from the Government to help kickstart the market regeneration or create an event space to drive footfall. This bid was kick starter money for regeneration targeted on the town centre, complimenting investments around other parts of Leigh, as ‘levelling up’ issues stem much deeper in post-industrial towns.
“If we truly want to level up, ask the MP to give us £160m back in our Local Authority settlement/budget so we can invest in local projects and services. But instead, as evidenced on the front page of this morning’s The Times, we have Tory ministers holding all the cards and disproportionately cushioning already affluent seats they hold.
“We are committed to finding alternative funds now to deliver the strategic regeneration framework for our Town centres.”
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