Local authority areas in the North have missed out on £21m of funding from the Government’s flagship levelling up fund, a new study has revealed.
An analysis of the Community Renewal Fund allocation by the think tank Health Equity North (HEN) has found that there was ‘no significant correlation’ between regional economic resilience and funding allocations.
All regions in the North of England received less than their expected share with the North East – the least resilient region in England – receiving £13.4m less than expected.
Meanwhile, the research, which was carried out in collaboration with the University of Manchester and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), also found that the South West was awarded £9.9m more than their expected share.
Dr Luke Munford, co-academic director at Health Equity North, and senior lecturer in Health Economics at the University of Manchester, said: ‘While investment like the Community Renewal Fund is very welcome, the methodology for distribution of the funding doesn’t add up and has the potential to further widen the North-South divide.
‘Despite committing to targeting people and places most in need, our research shows the imbalance that remains when it comes to investing in areas that face worse inequalities.
‘To mitigate this risk, there needs to be allocation of funding at a regional level, based on an objective measure of need and involving local leaders in decision making.’
A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) spokesperson said: ‘The UK Community Renewal Fund helped communities in every corner of the UK unleash their potential and instil pride, in preparation of taking full advantage of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) – which will provide over £2.6 billion for local investment by March 2025.’
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