The UK Government has announced that Fife will be receiving £40 million to support regeneration projects.
Part of the £5bn ‘Pride in Place’ programme delivered across the UK, the Labour government hope the investment will begin to reverse years of neglect, with funding being targeted at ‘areas which can benefit the most’.
The two areas of Fife have not yet been selected. The Kingdom was among 12 Scottish local authorities sharing £280m announced today.
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.
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said:
The UK Government is committed to delivering a decade of national renewal for Scotland. Through the Pride in Place programmes we’re announcing today, the UK Government will provide 14 places in Scotland with up to £20 million over 10 years and eight Scottish local authorities with £1.5 million over two years.
We are providing almost £300 million new direct investment to local authority areas to revitalise local communities. The UK Government will be working with local partners to deliver economic growth and l see these improvements made to communities up and down Scotland making them even greater places to live, work and play.
Fife and Glasgow shared the highest amount from the funding announcement, at £40m each, with the other local authorities receiving up to £20m each.
Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy MP, Melanie Ward said on social media, “Our UK Labour Government has committed £40 million for Fife community projects, on top of the funding committed to begin the regeneration of Kirkcaldy town centre.
“The SNP have failed to stand up for Fife and to realise its enormous potential. This investment recognises that potential and builds on the huge asset of community solidarity that we already have here in the Kingdom.”
The Scotland Office said in their announcement, on the Pride in Place (Plan for Neighbourhoods) programme, neighbourhoods will be selected by the Scotland Office and Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) later this year, following an evidence-led process involving local partners.
The Pride in Place Impact Fund (Pride in Neighbourhoods) will be governed by local authorities who will select the benefitting projects. The fund will run over a two year time-frame, starting this financial year (2025/26).
Allocations announced today were:
Pride in Place: extended Plan for Neighbourhoods (new) – up to £20m each (£280m total)
● Aberdeen City
● City of Edinburgh
● Falkirk
● Fife x2
● Glasgow x2
● Highland
● North Ayrshire
● North Lanarkshire
● South Ayrshire
● South Lanarkshire
● Na h-Eileanan Siar
● West Lothian
Pride in Place Impact Fund (Pride in Neighbourhoods) (new) – £1.5m each (£12m total)
● Glasgow City
● West Dunbartonshire
● North Ayrshire
● Dundee City
● North Lanarkshire
● Inverclyde
● East Ayrshire
● Falkirk
Existing Plan for Neighbourhoods (announced Spring 2025) – up to £20m each (£200m total)
● Angus (Arbroath)
● Moray (Elgin)
● Orkney Islands
● Aberdeenshire (Peterhead)
● Dumfries & Galloway (Dumfries)
● North Ayrshire (Irvine)
● East Ayrshire (Kilmarnock)
● West Dunbartonshire (Clydebank)
● North Lanarkshire (Coatbridge)
● Inverclyde (Greenock )
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