The prime minister has announced a £210m package to regenerate the UK’s communities and high streets.
Empty spaces will be put back into use, Andy Burnham said, turning them into “community hubs, health centres, shared workspaces, cafés and the local services that people actually want to see.”
The scheme is part of funding earmarked by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for high street support and regeneration.
It comes ahead of Burnham’s first Labour Party conference as prime minister, where he is set to emphasise his plans for the UK will have “making life more affordable” at its core.
As part of Burnham’s high streets scheme, a £125 million derelict buildings fund will be available to transform mothballed and dilapidated buildings.
And an £85m pot will enable communities to take over neglected spaces including pubs, clubs and shops, the government said.
There will also be £65m allocated to rescuing businesses and buildings at risk of closure, and a further £20m allocated to help communities set up co-operative businesses and let out empty units.
The prime minister said: “People don’t measure growth by looking at a spreadsheet. They measure it by looking at their local high street. Are shops opening or are the shutters down? Does the place feel like it’s moving forward or being left behind?
“Today’s funding will help put power back into the hands of locals who know their area best.”
Communities Secretary Angela Rayner said the scheme showed the government would mean communities see “boarded-up buildings that have been left to rack and ruin turned into places people are proud to visit again”.
Meanwhile First Secretary of State Louise Haigh said the investment would give local people the resources they need to make change, adding: “This is what devolution means in practice”.
The move follows Burnham’s announcement in the summer that pubs, clubs and social venues would see 20% cuts to business rates from April.
But Peter Kyle, business secretary to former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, suggested Burnham needs to act with “more urgency” to boost growth, as the PM arrives in Liverpool for Labour’s party conference this weekend.
The Conservatives’ own plan for “stronger high streets” would abolish business rates for thousands of businesses, and would “defend key pillars of the community such as post offices, pubs and pharmacies”, according to the party.
