Plans by the Government to invest £20 million in the Twerton area of Bath over the next 10 years have been welcomed as ‘great news’.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Mayor Helen Godwin during a visit to St Michael’s Junior School in Twerton in April | Photo © West of England Combined Authority
The £20 million investment will come from the Government’s Pride in Place programme, which aims to empower local people to help build stronger communities and create thriving places.
Councillor Kevin Guy, Leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, said: “We welcome this great news for Twerton which will give local people the opportunity to decide how £20m funding is invested in their neighbourhoods.
“The announcement builds on the amazing opportunities for economic growth in our region that were highlighted last week in the new and ambitious ten-year West of England Growth Plan which makes the case for more investment in our region, and I’m pleased Twerton has already been identified by the Government through Pride in Place.
“Our Economic Strategy for B&NES aims to unlock opportunity for everyone by delivering the infrastructure that neighbourhoods need to thrive, as well as investing in prevention across all services to tackle inequalities in local areas.
“We’ll be supporting our communities to bid for this new funding for projects that matter to them and we look forward to hearing from the Government on what the next steps will be, so we can help drive this positive change forwards.”
The Pride in Place Programme was announced in March, delivering up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade into 75 places from across the UK.
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The funding makes good on promises made to each of these places, all part of the last government’s Long Term Plan for Towns, but puts power in the hands of communities to shape the future of their area.
Announcing the news last week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “For too long, people have watched their towns and streets decline – powerless to stop boarded-up shops and neglected parks. That ends now.
“We’re investing in the UK’s future, by backing the true patriots that build our communities up in neighbourhoods across every corner of the country. Because it’s people who bring pride, hope and life to our communities.
“This is a huge investment, but what matters most is who decides how it’s spent: the neighbours, volunteers and parents who know their communities best – the people with real skin in the game.
“We’re choosing renewal over decline, unity over division. This is our Plan for Change in action – giving power and pride back to the people who make Britain great.”
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said: “Launching our new ten-year Growth Strategy on Wednesday [24th September], I talked about the need for investment to deliver real change that local people can see and feel in their communities – particularly in places that have been overlooked in the past.
“Today’s government announcement of some £20 million for Twerton, on top of the £20 million for Hartcliffe, over the coming decade shows that they, like us, are serious about making that happen here in the West of England.
“Local people here in Bath and Bristol will be able to have their say on how to invest this £40 million funding as part of a decade of national renewal, and I can’t wait to see the difference it makes.”
