City council bosses in Salford have been left disappointed after missing out on their Leveling Up Fund bid for the £20million regeneration of Eccles Shopping Centre. The authority acquired the shopping centre for £4.15m last year from Columbia Threadneedle Properties and the council was hoping its bid to the LUF to support the project would be successful.
However, Salford says the scheme will go ahead regardless of the failed pitch for cash. Responding to the news announced yesterday, Salford city mayor Paul Dennett said: "We are very disappointed that this project, which would rejuvenate a high street in one of the most deprived areas of the country has failed to achieve any Levelling Up Funding.
"To my mind, this project was the perfect example of a Levelling Up project and I will be intrigued to see which other projects in which other areas of the country did receive funding instead." The bid had been backed up by a slick video featuring Mr Dennett.
READ MORE: Every Greater Manchester project getting Levelling Up cash in round two
"Eccles has a long and proud history," he said in the footage. "The town has always had a strong, distinct local identity and heritage. It's where engineer James Naysmith invented the steam hammer and it's known around the world for its famous and delicious Eccles cakes."
On its website, Salford said the purchase of the shopping centre 'highlights the council's significant commitment to the future of the town'.
"It is a vital acquisition and the first key component in plans to deliver a new, shared vision for redeveloping and revitalising Eccles." There was better news for neighbouring authority Trafford, where a scheme to redevelop Partington Sports Village was granted £18m from the LUF, announced on Wednesday night.
The sports village, run by Trafford Leisure, already has an artificial outdoor football pitch chosen as an Olympic 2012 training venue for football and is currently the training ground for Salford City Football Club. The cash will be spent developing state-of-the-art facilities for the local community.
It is one of more than 100 projects across the UK to receive a share of £2.1bn to create jobs and boost economic growth. Some £672m has been earmarked to develop better transport links, a further £821m will kick-start regeneration and £594m to restore local heritage sites. Other successful bids include the Eden Project North in Morecambe (£50m), a new ‘multiversity’ in Blackpool (£40m).
Levelling Up secretary Michael Gove said: “We are firing the starting gun on more than a hundred transformational projects in every corner of the UK that will revitalise communities that have historically been overlooked but are bursting with potential. This new funding will create jobs, drive economic growth, and help to restore local pride. We are delivering on the people’s priorities, levelling up across the UK to ensure that no matter where you are from, you can go as far as your talents will take you.”
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said: “This is a major down payment on local jobs, growth and regeneration, all part of our mission to level up opportunity across the country.To unlock more growth right across the country, we are making it easier for locally-elected leaders to make things happen without banging on a Whitehall door by extending devolution deals to all areas of England that want them by 2030.”
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