How YOU can help decide how £20m is spent in these Lancashire neighbourhoods
Residents of six Lancashire communities that are in line for a £20m transformation of their local areas are being urged to get involved with deciding how the cash is spent.
The neighbourhoods were told in September that they were amongst 169 localities that will receive the ‘Pride in Place’ cash boost over a 10-year period - designed to empower people to make a difference to the places where they live.
In Lancashire, parts of Preston (Ribbleton, including Moor Nook and Grange), Blackpool (Little Layton and Little Carleton, including Grange Park), Fleetwood (parts of the Pharos and Mount wards), Morecambe (West End), Skelmersdale (including Digmoor) and Blackburn (Shadsworth and Intack) are all set to benefit.
Now, the Prime Minister has made a direct appeal to locals in those areas to have a say in how to make the best of the investment coming their way - by joining the Neighbourhood Boards that will oversee the process.
Sir Keir Starmer said: “Whether it’s breathing new life into a high street, setting up a local sports league, or saving the pub at the heart of your community – Pride in Place is about putting power back where it belongs: in the hands of local people.
“We’re backing the local residents who step forward, join their Neighbourhood Boards, and help shape a decade of transformation.
“This isn’t about short-term fixes – it’s about lasting change that restores pride, strengthens communities and creates opportunities for everyone.”
New guidance outlines how the Neighbourhood Boards will have to prove they have listened to and have the backing of residents and their local community to receive all their funding, ensuring that community voices sit at the heart of the decisions made about the future of their areas.
Any resident with big ideas and a desire to transform their community can get involved, with boards being chaired by an independent member of the community, chosen for their ambition and potential to lead their community.
Local authorities and MPs in Pride in Place areas will now begin to work with their communities to pick the right chair to take the reins of their Neighbourhood Board, lead on engagement with the community, and drive forward the changes they want to see.
Anybody interested in sitting on the board in their area should contact their local council.
The beneficiaries of the fund were chosen based on criteria including availability of local services and the degree to which residents are isolated or integrated.