Covid: 26 towns in England to receive £610m in government funding to rebuild after pandemic

Hastings is among the 26 towns in England earmarked for a multimillion pound investment. Credit: PA Archive/PA Images

Twenty-six English towns have received a portion of £610 million in government funding to help them rebuild their economies in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The money, which comes from the £3.6 billion Towns Fund unveiled in July 2019, is intended to kickstart urban regeneration and boost green transport infrastructure, tourism and jobs.

It is also intended for education and vocational training courses, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said.

The cash was allocated through a series of “towns deals” which sets out how the money will be spent following proposals submitted by the local council.

Hereford, in the West Midlands, which was awarded £22.4 million, will spend the money on a fleet of electric buses, and on regenerating its museum, library and art gallery.

The £24.8 million allocated to Doncaster in South Yorkshire will be spent on upgrading Doncaster Station Gateway and the surrounding area by creating green transport links such as cycle lanes and walking routes.

It will also be spent on commercial spaces to boost footfall and private sector investment in the town centre, MHCLG said.

In Hastings, East Sussex, some of the £24.3 million it received will be spent on a “low carbon centre of excellence” to provide new commercial space, as well as on renovations to the castle, which will boost the town’s tourism.

Hartlepool, County Durham, received £25 million, some of which will be spent on a new health and care academy and a civil engineering institute as part of a long-term plan to boost higher-skilled jobs in the area.

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “We are levelling up towns and cities across the country by building stronger and more resilient local economies, boosting prosperity and opportunity in our communities, and helping them build back better from the pandemic”.

He continued: “Today’s announcement means that 79 towns' deals have now been agreed – totalling over £2 billion investment in communities across England”.

“As well as creating town centres that people want to work, rest and play in, the Government is delivering the homes that people need where they need them, making home ownership a reality for many young people and key workers in the places they want to live”.

Here's the full list of funding allocations across England:

North: - Brighouse, West Yorkshire: £19.1 million - Cleator Moor, Cumbria: £22.5 million - Dewsbury, West Yorkshire: £24.8 million - Doncaster, South Yorkshire: £24.8 million - Redcar, North Yorkshire: £25 million - Rotherham, South Yorkshire: £31.6 million - Oldham, Greater Manchester: £24.4 million

North east: - Bishop Auckland, County Durham: £33.2 million - Hartlepool, County Durham: £25 million

Midlands: - Ashfield (joint Kirkby & Sutton), Nottinghamshire: £62.6 million - Corby, Northamptonshire: £19.9 million - Hereford, Herefordshire: £22.4 million - Long Eaton, Derbyshire: £24.8 million - Loughborough, Leicestershire: £16.9 million - Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire: £23.6 million - Redditch, Worcestershire: £15.6 million - Stapleford, Nottinghamshire: £21.1 million - Telford, Shropshire: £22.3 million - Walsall, Staffordshire: £21.3 million - Worcester, Worcestershire: £19.6 million

East: - Bedford, Bedfordshire: £22.6 million - King’s Lynn, Norfolk: £25 million

South west: - Bridgwater, Somerset: £22.6 million - Glastonbury, Somerset: £23.6 million - Hastings, East Sussex: £24.3 million