The analysis revealed that more than half of the country’s 100 most deprived areas have yet to benefit from the fund. The awards are under fresh scrutiny after former chancellor Rishi Sunak told an audience in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, that he had changed the types of funding to divert money away from “deprived urban areas”. The government has now rejected a recommendation by the Commons public accounts committee to withhold the identities of nominees shortlisted by ministers until the principles for allocating the awards are finalised. He said such a move was unnecessary and impractical. one The selection process for the first round of bids was previously criticized by Keir Starmer as resembling “pork barrel politics”. Officials say the equalization fund has fairly and transparently delivered vital investments across the country. Blackpool, England’s most deprived area, was rejected for flat funding in the first round. Meanwhile, more affluent communities with Tory MPs submitted successful bids, including a film studios project in Kent and a proposal to improve a junction in a Bedfordshire village. This weekend Lisa Nandy, the shadow raising secretary, called for an investigation into why some of the poorest communities have so far missed out on upgrading awards. He said: “Rishi Sunak let the cat out of the bag when he boasted that he had fixed the rules. Taxpayers’ money should always be spent fairly and in areas where it is most needed – not used for political gain.” Lisa Nandy said: “Rishi Sunak let the cat out of the bag when he bragged about fixing the rules.” Photo: Gareth Fuller/PA The Government announced new investment deals to support regeneration in the November 2020 spending review, including a new UK Flatness Fund and continued investment in a £3.6bn Cities Fund to improve more than 100 communities in all of England. The methodology for allocating equalization awards has been criticized for not using levels of deprivation to classify areas for priority funding. Instead, it used unemployment rate and productivity data, along with an assessment of local transport and regeneration needs. Analysis by the Financial Times in March last year found that some of the country’s most deprived areas were classified as “priority two” in the ranking used to distribute the funding. He said the reclassifications favored some prosperous Tory constituencies. The first round of awards was announced in October 2021, with 105 successful awards totaling £1.7 billion. Barrow-in-Furness, Burnley, Doncaster, Leeds and Leicester were among the sides that submitted successful bids. However, an analysis published by the Center for Inequality and Regeneration at the University of West London later revealed that 61 of the 100 most deprived areas in England received no funding. Professor Graeme Atherton, head of the centre, said: “This is the flagship fund for upgrading and some of the most deprived areas, including Blackpool, are yet to receive funds. It raises questions about how the money was distributed.” Successful bids in the first round of applications included one for £14.8m from Ashford Borough Council for new international film studios with commercial and residential developments. The proposed complex was backed by former Conservative cabinet minister Damian Green. Central Bedfordshire Council has won £6.8m of funding to improve the A6/A507 roundabout in the village of Clophill, which is on the River Flit, in a bid backed by culture secretary and local MP Nadine Dorries. Applications for the second round of the flagship leveling fund closed earlier this month. Birmingham, Nottingham and Torbay are among the sides that have submitted bids. The applications include a bid from Lancaster City Council for £50m for the Eden Project North, in Morecambe a proposed sister project to the visitor attraction in Cornwall. The project envisions three giant shell-shaped pavilions on the city’s beach. A spokesman for the Department for Uplift, Housing and Communities denied there was any bias in the funding allocations. The spokesman said: “We have already categorically rejected these claims – the first round of the settlement fund offers vital investment in communities across the UK that have for too long been overlooked and undervalued. “The bids were evaluated using processes that are transparent, robust and fair – and political control of the areas was not taken into account.” Officials say Blackpool has received £39.5m from the city fund and 12 projects in the North West have already benefited from more than £230m of leveling funds.
