Tag: Department for Levelling Up

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 26 February 2023.

Social housing managers must gain professional qualifications under new rules to protect residents and raise standards in the sector.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 17 February 2023.

Every council in Northern Ireland will receive funding from the UK Government to enhance green spaces in their communities through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Every council in Northern Ireland will receive funding this financial year from the UK Government to enhance green spaces in their communities, Levelling Up Minister Dehenna Davison has announced today (17 February 2023).

More than £1.3 million will help councils to fund 26 projects that will see new trees planted, cycle paths and trails expanded, play parks improved and a new King’s Garden developed to mark the coronation of King Charles later this year.

The funding will allow councils to go further with their plans to level up and unlock additional investment in local green spaces this year and next.

It is part of Northern Ireland’s £127 million share of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) that will deliver tangible improvements for local people, with positive impacts on pride in place, local growth and life chances. A number of the projects will also receive match funding from councils and support from Northern Ireland Executive Departments.

Today, the UK Government is also confirming that it will work with councils and their local partners to allocate around £13.8 million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund over the next two years to improve areas across Northern Ireland through a mix of community and neighbourhood infrastructure, further green space developments, active travel enhancements and local arts and cultural activities, all supported by local community volunteering.

Levelling Up Minister Dehenna Davison said:

It’s really important that people can take pride in the place they live and have easy access to more green spaces like gardens, play parks, cycle paths and forests.

This funding is going to all eleven councils in Northern Ireland and will support projects that visibly improve community facilities for everyone. These include a new King’s Garden in Newtownabbey, new paths in Drumcairne and Derrynoyd forests and a restored timber boardwalk at Killyfole Lough.

I pay tribute to the councils and communities for the imagination and breadth of their ideas, and look forward to seeing them benefit communities for years to come.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris said:

Green spaces are so integral to all communities, and it’s fantastic that every council area across Northern Ireland will benefit from this boost from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

This investment in community infrastructure will deliver health and wellbeing benefits as well as improving the local environment, and builds on the £71m allocated to community projects across Northern Ireland from round two of the Levelling Up Fund last month.

This UKSPF funding will contribute to more than 20km of new or improved cycle ways or footpaths – the equivalent of the distance from Newry to Banbridge. It will also support 8,145m² of new or improved green or blue space this year.

The full list of approved projects are:

• Antrim and Newtownabbey – £101,395 towards the development of a pleasure garden within Hazelbank Park, Newtownabbey to mark the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III. This will also serve as a key tourist attraction located at the gateway to the Causeway Coastal Route.
• Ards and North Down – £113,925 towards a playground at De Wind Drive in Comber, providing a wider range of play equipment for younger and older children, as well as inclusive equipment for those children with disabilities.
• Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon – £152,191 towards five council owned play parks: Thornhill, Cline Road, Scarva, Ervine Place, Scotch Street.
• Belfast City – £240,367 for installation of a new path and community garden in the Botanic Gardens and helping to create a learning facility for soil enhancement, food production and testing.
• Causeway Coast and Glens – £98,600 to improve three currently derelict rural green spaces (Scally Park, Islandmore and Dromore Avenue) and refurbish one rural play area in Glenullin.
• Derry City and Strabane – £104,944 contribution to Strathfoyle Greenway, a 2.7km long greenway, with street lighting controlled by a smart system to minimise energy consumption and impacts on wildlife.
• Fermanagh and Omagh – £81,288 towards replacement of obsolete timber walkways at Killyfole Lough, a suite of signage and nature trail interpretation, a biodiversity programme to include education booklets that link to the signage around the Lough and an outdoor classroom in the adjacent ‘Secret Garden’.
• Lisburn and Castlereagh – £103,752 towards a Community Garden and an intergenerational sports area in Lough Moss, Carryduff, disability access paths in Billy Neill MBE Country Park, Dundonald and tree planting to replace those with ash dieback disease in Lisburn New Cemetery.
• Mid and East Antrim – £96,732 to enhance the basic infrastructure of five parks and open spaces across the borough.
• Mid Ulster – £104,600 to restore multi-use trails, improved car and bicycle parking, vegetation clearance, signage and seating and picnic areas in Drumcairne and Derrynoyd Forests.
• Newry, Mourne and Down – £126,733 to improve the Fallows Trail, a circular walking route from Kilbroney Park through the forested areas of Rostrevor Forest to open largely unenclosed upland habitats. This 18km trail will provide a multi-use walking and running trail for both the local people and visitors.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 9 February 2023.

Awaab’s Law will force social landlords to fix damp and mould within strict time limits, in new amendment to the Social Housing Regulation Bill.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 9 February 2023.

£96,000 was allocated to Moor Pool Heritage Trust in Birmingham in December 2022 from the UK Community Ownership Fund.

Moor Pool Heritage Trust will purchase the Grade II listed building which is currently a snooker hall and community office and transform it into a multi-use community hub, known as completing the Moor Pool Jigsaw.

The Trust also plan to upgrade the building including installing a new entry system.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 9 February 2023.

£204,316 was allocated to Glór Uachtar Tíre in Newry, Mourne and Down in December 2022 from the UK Community Ownership Fund.

The organisation currently lease a building from which they run a variety of classes, social support groups and community activities. The building is up for sale and the funding will enable the organisation to purchase the building so they can continue to use it for the community. Their project name is, “Teach Uidhilin”.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 6 February 2023.

The local government finance settlement has confirmed £60 billion for councils to deliver local services.

• Levelling Up Secretary confirms increased funding package for councils to deliver local services and support vulnerable households with council tax bills
• An extra £5.1 billion available on last year’s settlement, including access to £2 billion new social care grant
• Government funding gives certainty to local government and stands behind councils in challenging times

Councils in England will benefit from almost £60 billion to deliver vital frontline services as the Government confirms an average funding increase of 9.4% for town halls over the next financial year.

After close engagement with councils, the settlement includes £2 billion in additional grant funding for adult and children’s social care for 2023/24 and a one-off Funding Guarantee that ensures every local authority in England will see at least a 3% increase in core spending power before any local decisions around council tax are taken.

Following consultation, the Government has expanded the total funding allocations to include a further £19 million for all services and £10 million extra for the Rural Services Delivery Grant. This additional funding will help councils deliver core services and address the unique challenges faced by rural communities.

The Government proposed the funding package in December and consulted with councils on all elements of the settlement. Now, the Government is confirming its intention that councils across England will benefit from an additional £5.1 billion – an increase of 9.4% on last year – as it continues to stand behind councils and public services in the face of financial pressures.

The final settlement for local government ensures the most relatively deprived areas of England receive 17% more funding per household than the least deprived.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said:

“Every day councils across the country deliver for their communities and play a crucial role in driving forward levelling up.

“This funding package represents an increase of over 9% for councils on last year, ensuring a fair deal for local government that reflects the vital work councils do to provide key services on which we all rely.”

Alongside the provisional settlement, the Government announced a £100 million of additional funding for local authorities to support the most vulnerable households in England – delivering on the manifesto commitment to protect local taxpayers from excessive increases. This funding supports the government’s council tax referendum package, which strikes a fair balance to ensure taxpayers are not over-burdened at a time of significant pressure on the public finances.

This announcement follows a major £2.1 billion investment for councils across the UK through the Levelling Up Fund, which will deliver transformational projects to help spread opportunity to historically overlooked areas.

The provisional settlement consultation was open for 4 weeks and closed on 16 January 2023.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 4 February 2023.

Severely disabled people will benefit from better facilities and greater accessibility in their local areas as councils across England today (4 Feb) receive their share of over £7m government funding to build Changing Places toilets.

Designed for those who struggle to use standard accessible toilets, these new state-of-the-art facilities come with additional equipment such as hoists, adult sized changing benches and space for carers. They are targeted at areas where they are most needed such as parks, shopping centres and train stations with little to no access facilities.

Today’s announcement brings the amount of funding awarded under the government’s Changing Places scheme to £30.5 million. The scheme is providing more than 600 new facilities, bringing the total of Changing Places toilets across England to 1,900.

Levelling Up Minister Dehenna Davison, said:

“Everyone deserves to have the freedom to enjoy their local communities – without the fear of whether or not they’re going to be able to access the facilities they need.

“Today’s funding will see 120 new Changing Places toilets in places where they are most needed, helping ensure disabled people and their carers can go about their lives with dignity.”

Robert Burley, Director of Director of Care, Campaigns, and Support at Muscular Dystrophy UK (MDUK) said:

“We’re very pleased that the remaining balance from this fund has been allocated. This is a wonderful outcome and will see increased provision of Changing Places toilets in the areas most in need.

“MDUK is extremely proud to be supporting this vital programme, and we look forward to providing our continued specialist support to both the Department and to Local Authorities through to its conclusion; and to the increased inclusion this funding will facilitate across England.”

Shelley Simmonds is a campaigner and advocate for MDUK as her son, Fraser, 9, lives with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a condition which causes muscles to weaken over time.

Shelley said:

“I am a delighted to hear the announcement today and I know I speak for many families like mine when I say that Changing Places really do change lives. The freedom of being able to visit different places and have days out that we can thoroughly enjoy, without the worry of toilet uncertainty or having to cut our trips shorts, is a wonderful feeling!

“Not being able to access a suitable toilet dictates our everyday life and prevents us from even accessing our most local community. With more Changing Places popping up, families can explore places that were once off limits.”

In a study by the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers in 2021, Commissioned by Muscular Dystrophy UK and DLUHC, families and carers said the top locations where these facilities should be made available were country parks, open spaces, tourist attractions and transport networks, as the journey to the destination is a key factor in planning a day out. The top venues were beaches and the seaside, motorway services and parks or gardens.

New facilities will now be built in the following venues:

• Public parks and open spaces
• Tourist attractions including historic properties, seaside resorts and zoos
• Cathedrals
• Museums, theatres, and galleries
• Shopping malls
• Libraries and public buildings

Changing Places Fund Round 2 Allocations

Barnet London Borough

Bath and North East Somerset Council

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council

Breckland District Council

Brent London Borough

Bromley London Borough

Central Bedfordshire UA

Copeland Borough Council

Coventry City Council

Darlington Borough Council

Dorset Council (UA)

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council

Durham County UA

East Cambridgeshire District Council

Eden District Council

Folkestone and Hythe District Council

Gedling Borough Council

Great Yarmouth Borough Council

Greenwich London Borough

Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough

Harborough District Council

Havant Borough Council

Havering London Borough

Herefordshire Council

High Peak Borough Council

Huntingdonshire District Council

King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council

Kirklees Council

Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Maidstone Borough Council

Malvern Hills District Council

Mansfield District Council

Mid Devon District Council

Mole Valley District Council

North Tyneside Council

North West Leicestershire District Council

Northumberland County UA

Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council

Peterborough City Council

Plymouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council

Redditch Borough Council

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council

Ribble Valley Borough Council

Rother District Council

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

Rushcliffe Borough Council

Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council

Sheffield City Council

South Holland District Council

South Oxfordshire District Council

South Tyneside Council

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

Stratford-on-Avon District Council

Test Valley Borough Council

Tewkesbury Borough Council

Waltham Forest London Borough

Wealden District Council

West Lancashire Borough Council

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

Wirral Borough Council

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 30 January 2023.

Contract requires developers to fix buildings and reimburse taxpayers, with an estimated £2 billion expected to be committed to fund repairs.

Developers today received legally binding contracts that will commit them to pay to repair unsafe buildings.

The government has set a six-week deadline for developers to sign the legal agreements and is warning that companies who fail to sign and comply with the terms of the contract will face significant consequences.

Legislation will be brought forward in the spring giving the Secretary of State powers to prevent developers from operating freely in the housing market if they fail to sign and comply with the remediation contract.

The contract, which has been drawn up by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, will protect thousands of leaseholders living in hundreds of buildings across England. These innocent households would otherwise face costly repairs for serious safety defects, including non-cladding related issues.

Under the contract, developers will commit an estimated £2 billion or more for repairs to buildings they developed or refurbished over the past 30 years. This means that together with the Building Safety Levy, industry is directly paying an estimated £5 billion to make their buildings safe.

The contract also requires developers to reimburse taxpayers where public money has been used to fix unsafe buildings.

This follows Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, demanding developers are held to account, which led to public pledges from 49 of the country’s leading developers that they would take responsibility to fix their own buildings, which will now be turned into legally binding commitments.

Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, said:

Today marks another significant step towards righting the wrongs of the past and protecting innocent leaseholders, who are trapped in their homes and facing unfair and crippling costs.

Too many developers, along with product manufacturers and freeholders, have profited from these unsafe buildings and have a moral duty to do the right thing and pay for their repair.

In signing this contract, developers will be taking a big step towards restoring confidence in the sector and providing much needed certainty to all concerned.

There will be nowhere to hide for those who fail to step up to their responsibilities – I will not hesitate to act and they will face significant consequences.

Dean Finch, Group Chief Executive at Persimmon, said:

Persimmon was proud to lead the industry two years ago with our original pledge to protect leaseholders. Since then, we have been making good progress on remediation and aim to be on site on all developments by the end of the year.

The publication of the developer remediation contract is the culmination of many months of hard work on all sides and we are pleased to confirm our intention to sign the final document in the near future, becoming the first developer to do so.

The terms of the contract are entirely consistent with our existing commitment to protect leaseholders in multi-storey buildings we constructed from the costs of remediating cladding and life-critical fire-related safety issues. We are pleased to reaffirm this commitment today and that we were able to work constructively with the Government to secure the agreement.

Under legislation to be brought forward this spring, a Responsible Actors Scheme (RAS) will be created, allowing the Secretary of State to block developers who have not signed the contract or failed to comply with its terms from carrying out development and from receiving building control approval. This will prevent them from operating as normal in the housing market for as long as they do not resolve the problems of the past.

The Levelling Up Secretary will also take action to ban managing agents and freeholders from taking commissions when they take out building insurance. This is in response to a report from the Financial Conduct Authority that suggested commissions make up almost a third of premiums.

Government will also bring in further measures to make service charges more transparent and empower leaseholders who want to challenge their bills.

This follows confirmation from six major lenders that, from earlier this month, they will once again consider mortgage applications on properties that are covered by the leaseholder protections in the Building Safety Act, or where the building is eligible for a government or developer remediation scheme.

Once the contract is signed by developers, leaseholders will benefit from a common framework of rights and responsibilities that will get their buildings fixed without them having to pay, and will require developers to inform residents in affected buildings how they will be meeting these commitments.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 27 January 2023.

A landmark devolution deal has been signed in North East England today by Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove and eight local leaders in the region.

The devolution deal will transfer new powers to local leaders in the North East to deliver skills, transport and housing, supported by £1.4 billion of funding. The Levelling Up Secretary, the Mayor of North Tyne and representatives from all seven local authorities covering the region signed the deal in an historic ceremony at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead.

In the deal, the government guarantees the new North East Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) more than £1.4 billion over the next 30 years which will enable the new Mayor and the councils to plan for the long term, with certainty, and unlock the benefits of devolution for 2 million people living in the area. This will support the leadership of the Mayor of Tees Valley, which has already revived Teesside International Airport, created a new freeport and established a free school with leading educationalists.

The signing continues the government’s devolution revolution with England moving closer to being 50% covered by bespoke regional devolution deals. What’s more, the new agreement reaffirms the government’s commitment in the Levelling Up white paper to offer a devolution deal to any area that wants one by 2030.

A local consultation on the deal is now open and if approved, people across Northumberland, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland, and County Durham will be given the power to elect directly a Mayor of the North East. This person can act as a local champion who can help attract investment to the area and act as a powerful local voice in discussions with central government and other bodies.

The historic deal will also give the Mayoral Combined Authority control over the multi-million pound Adult Education budget, so local leaders, colleges and training providers can work together to arm local people with the skills needed to drive local growth. It will also give control to the region of over half a billion pounds to upgrade public transport through a new City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement and provide immediate support to build new affordable homes on brownfield sites.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said:

I am proud to sign this historic devolution deal for the North East today, which will give local leaders the flexibility and freedom they need to tackle the most pressing issues affecting the day-to-day lives of people in the area.

Levelling up the North East remains an absolute priority for the government, and I look forward to working closely with local leaders to unlock fresh opportunities that create tangible benefits for people right across the region.

The proposed deal sets out the government’s plans to devolve more power to the North East through:

• Education and skills: The deal provides the region with powers to better improve local skills through full devolution of the Adult Education budget and a greater say over the Local Skills Improvement Plan, which brings together local businesses, colleges, and training providers to identify the skills needed to support local growth.
• Housing and regeneration: The North East will receive £17.4 million to support and accelerate the building of new homes on brownfield land, as well as £20 million to level up and kick start regeneration, delivering new affordable homes and green economic growth across the region.
• Transport: A new City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement with government will give the North East control of up to £563 million to help shape and improve local rail services across the region, as well as the ability to introduce bus franchising.
• Local leadership: From 2024, the North East will have a directly elected mayor who can champion the area, help drive investment to the region, and can represent local people in conversations with national government.

Building on existing collaboration across the region and with central government, the new North East Mayoral Combined Authority will replace the existing North of Tyne MCA and Mayor, as well as the non-mayoral North East Combined Authority. This will bring the region together and provide a more strategic economic geography, which encompasses the whole Tyne and Wear region, as well as Northumberland and Durham. These changes are subject to the statutory processes, including local consultation and Parliamentary approval. The deal is being published today to allow necessary governance steps to proceed and will be signed in in the early new year.

The North East deal means that government has now made devolution agreements with areas representing over 7 million people since the Levelling Up White Paper was published in February and agreed devolution deals with 8 of the 11 areas that were prioritised for devolution.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 26 January 2023.

Lucy Frazer MP visited Buckinghamshire Council to see new digital planning services which are modernising the planning process.