Government unveils 69 towns and cities set for high street funding

Tottenham High Road after the 2011 riots. The high street is one of 69 which has won government funding for an upgrade. Credit: Max Nash / PA

The Government has revealed the 69 high streets across England that will benefit from a £95 million fund to revive historic shopping areas.

Ministers said towns and cities from Plymouth to Middlesbrough will now be able to start spending the cash, which had previously been announced in May.

The Midlands will receive the largest slice of the funds, with £21.1 million going on projects including £2 million for a project in Coventry’s ancient shopping street, The Burges.

The Scarborough Spa in South Bay Scarborough. Credit: PA

On that project, it will be used to buy and restore Coventry’s historic buildings in the few areas of the city to survive the bombing in World War Two.

Up to £2 million will also go to Stoke-on-Trent to redevelop vacant buildings within its conservation area with a focus on creating more homes.

Elsewhere, London and the South East will receive £14.3 million, including £2 million to be spent in Tottenham to restore historic shop-fronts on the high street, which saw parts set ablaze during the nationwide riots of 2011.

Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan said: "Our nation’s heritage is one of our great calling cards to the world, attracting millions of visitors to beautiful historic buildings that sit at the heart of our communities.

"It is right that we ensure these buildings are preserved for future generations but it is important that we make them work for the modern world."

Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan said the funds are necessary to protect the nation's heritage. Credit: PA

Other projects to receive the funding include £1.99 million for Plymouth for regeneration works, education projects and community events to help boost the local high street’s heritage buildings.

Wigan will use up to £1.27 million to restore vacant historic buildings to help support the creation of jobs and increase footfall in the area.

And Scarborough will make key repair works to buildings as well as providing local property owners, residents and trade people with the opportunity to gain practical heritage skills with up to £2 million from the Heritage High Streets fund.

So how much are the government spending in each area?

  • London and the South East: £14.3 million

  • South West: £13.7 million

  • East of England: £7 million

  • Midlands: £21.1 million

  • North East and Yorkshire: £17.2 million

  • North West: £18.7 million

Which towns and centres are receiving funding?

North West

  • Bacup, Rossendale

  • Barrow in Furness

  • Blackpool

  • Burnley

  • Chester

  • Fleetwood

  • Kirkham

  • Lancaster

  • Maryport, Cumbria

  • Ormskirk

  • Prescot

  • Stalybridge

  • Tyldesley, Greater Manchester

  • Wigan Town Centre

North East & Yorkshire

  • Barnsley

  • Hexham

  • Huddersfield

  • Hull

  • Leeds

  • Middlesbrough

  • North Shields

  • Northallerton

  • Scarborough CA, Castle ward

  • Selby Town Centre

  • Skipton

  • Sowerby Bridge

  • Wakefield

Midlands

  • Brierley Hill

  • Buxton

  • Coventry

  • Grantham

  • Hinckley

  • Kettering Town Centre

  • Leicester City Centre

  • Leominster

  • Lincoln

  • Newark-on-Trent Town Centre

  • Oswestry

  • Stoke on Trent

  • Wednesbury Town Centre

East of England

  • Bedford

  • Dunstable

  • Great Yarmouth

  • King’s Lynn

  • Lowestoft

  • North Walsham

  • Swaffham

South West

  • Chard

  • Cullompton

  • Gloucester

  • Keynsham

  • Midsomer Norton

  • Plymouth

  • Poole

  • Redruth

  • Tewkesbury

  • Weston-Super-Mare

London and the South East

  • Chatham Intra

  • Croydon

  • Gosport

  • Harlesden

  • Hastings

  • Newport

  • Ramsgate

  • Reading

  • Ryde

  • Tottenham

  • Tower Hamlets

  • Woolwich