Deprived areas in the North West won't benefit from government funding according to new research

Copeland, Halton, Allerdale, West Lancashire, Wyre, Lancaster, Wirral, and Fylde were all identified as being lower priority for funding. Credit: PA Images

A number of locations in the North West will not benefit from the government's £4.8billion 'levelling up fund', according to new research released by The Salvation Army.

Copeland, Halton, Allerdale, West Lancashire, Wyre, Lancaster, Wirral, and Fylde were all identified as being lower priority for funding.

This is despite the Salvation Army research identifying these areas as needing the highest level of Government support to reverse a spiral of economic decline.   

The report is the biggest social mapping exercise in The Salvation Army’s recent history and attempts to analyse how and where to invest funding to  tackle poverty.     

The Salvation Army has used priority areas such as Liverpool as focal points for research and found that specific areas requiring investment include access to childcare, training and progression into high wage/high skill sector jobs and entry level job opportunities for young people. 

The Salvation Army has identified 45 areas that need to be given highest priority for the Government’s 'levelling up' funding.

KEY FINDINGS FROM RESEARCH

  • Government prioritised 93 areas for access to funding, but report found a further 45 in urgent need of investment including Copeland, Halton, Allerdale, West Lancashire, Wyre, Lancaster, Wirral, and Fylde.

  • A number of coastal and rural areas in the North West that should be high priority were missed out of the Government’s calculations. 

  • The Government’s analysis of need was mainly based on unemployment figures, whereas The Salvation Army report analysed the local labour market in more detail.   

  • Lack of access to childcare was one of the key barriers to people finding work.    

  • A disproportional amount of funding could be spent on infrastructure such as road and bridges, rather than projects to help communities upskill people and access employment.

The government has said it is continuing to invest in communities across the country.