Tag: Department for Levelling Up

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

Holocaust Memorial Bill will update historic legislation and progress the building of a new memorial in London.

• Holocaust Memorial Bill will update historic legislation and progress the building of a new memorial and learning centre in Victoria Tower Gardens, Westminster
• Located next to the Houses of Parliament, memorial will serve as a powerful reminder to the whole of society
• Memorial and learning centre will be free to visitors and its careful design means the memorial will enhance the gardens.

The Government will introduce new legislation to progress the construction of a national Holocaust memorial.

The Prime Minister announced in the House of Commons yesterday (25 January) that the Holocaust Memorial Bill will update historic legislation, removing a statutory obstacle that has previously prevented the building of a new memorial and learning centre in Victoria Tower Gardens in Westminster.

Located next to the Houses of Parliament, the memorial will serve as a powerful reminder to the whole of society of the Holocaust, its victims and where prejudice can lead if unchallenged.

The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said:

“This important Bill brings us one step closer to delivering a national Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre at the heart of our democracy in Westminster, where it rightly belongs.

“The Memorial will honour the memory of those who were so cruelly murdered and preserve the testimonies of brave survivors so that future generations will never forget the horrors of the holocaust.

“As the remaining survivors become older and fewer in number, it is vital that we push ahead with the Memorial which is supported by all major political parties.”

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

“As the Holocaust moves from living history, to history, it becomes ever more important that we take the time to remember the six million Jewish men, women and children murdered and pay tribute to the survivors.

“We are committed to building the Memorial next to Parliament, a site which reflects its national significance and is close to other important memorials including the Cenotaph.

“We owe it to Holocaust survivors, to the British people and future generations to remember where hatred can lead.”

Rt Hon Ed Balls and Rt Hon Lord Eric Pickles, Co-chairs of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation said:

“As the generation of brave Holocaust survivors passes away, we have a duty to create this memorial to make sure that the memory and the truth of the Holocaust is preserved.

“Victoria Tower Gardens, at the heart of Westminster and alongside the great symbol and heart of our democracy, is absolutely the right place to construct the national Memorial to the Holocaust.”

Manfred Goldberg BEM, a Holocaust survivor who was held captive in Stutthof concentration camp, Poland, said:

“Several years ago survivors were promised a Holocaust Memorial in close proximity to the Houses of Parliament. I am a 92 year old survivor who would be so grateful to be alive when this project, uniquely situated next to the Mother of Parliaments, comes to fruition.”

Planning consent for the Holocaust Memorial to be built in Victoria Tower Gardens was granted in July 2021, but the decision was quashed by the High Court in April 2022 due to historic legislation that requires the garden to be maintained as a garden open to the public.

The memorial and learning centre will be free to visitors, with timed entry tickets.

Careful design means the memorial will enhance the gardens, ensuring they continue to provide an important public garden available to residents and visitors to Westminster. Paths and seating will be more attractive, accessible and landscaping improvements will enhance the local environment, maintaining public access.

Holocaust Educational Trust Chief Executive Karen Pollock said:

“As the Holocaust fades further into history, and with survivors becoming fewer and frailer, time is of the essence. Located in the heart of our democracy, the UK Holocaust Memorial will send a clear signal for years to come of the place the Holocaust should always have in our national consciousness and the importance of learning its lessons for generations to come.”

The proposal to construct a new national Memorial to the Holocaust, with an accompanying learning centre, was announced by the then Prime Minister with cross-party support in January 2015, and the decision to build the memorial at Victoria Tower Gardens was announced in January 2016.

Following an international competition, a design team of Adjaye Associates, Ron Arad Associates and Gustafson Porter + Bowman was selected. A planning application was submitted in December 2018 and planning consent was granted in July 2021, following a lengthy public inquiry.

A High Court judgment in April 2022 found that the London County Council (Improvements) Act 1900 imposed an obligation to maintain Victoria Tower Gardens as a public garden, and that this obligation was an obstacle to construction of the Holocaust Memorial at that site. Based on this conclusion, the High Court quashed the decision to grant planning consent.

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

A project to create a multi-use hub in Kinloch Rannoch was awarded £250,000 from the Community Ownership Fund.

The building in Perthshire was originally a school. This project will let the community repurpose a building that was financially unworkable.

Community leads the project

Rannoch Community Trust is leading an initiative to create new sustainable facilities. This will allow community activities in Kinloch Rannoch to expand in the short, medium, and long term.

The centre will be commercially viable and will include:

• a community meeting room
• an outlet for local produce
• public outdoor spaces
• a bar and restaurant

It will also provide volunteering and paid employment opportunities for local people.

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

A Leicestershire village’s dream of a new community centre is being supported by £250,000 from the Community Ownership Fund.

Disused Pavilion to become community hub

Thurnby sits on the border between city and countryside and has few community spaces. The unused pavilion space will:

• be redeveloped and extended
• create a new community hub and café

The planned hub is located near St Luke’s Church and Manor Park.

New hub to offer community support

The hub will provide a space for people to connect. It will offer a range of support services including:

• bereavement support
• parenting classes
• financial advice

The investment will add to over £750,000 that has already been raised by the church and the local community.

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

Light Church in central Bradford has been able to buy the Jubilee Centre with £225,000 support from the Community Ownership Fund.

The Jubilee Centre is the location for the Bradford central foodbank.

A location for several community services

The Light Church runs several services out of the Jubilee centre.

These include:

• a school for excluded pupils
• a benefits advice centre

When the property went up for sale, church members vigorously fundraised. This included a sponsored 72 hour fast, which raised over £20,000 and collecting donations from church members worth £150,000.

The future of the Jubilee Centre assured

With the Community Ownership Fund, the future of the foodbank and other services that run out of the Jubilee Centre are assured.

The funding has:

• ensured that the church can continue to do their good work in the future
• helped preserve this important community asset

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

Boosting Ramsgate’s economy with £19.8 million investment

The plans include several projects that will:

• support the economic growth of this coastal town
• bring in new investment

Investing in Ramsgate’s future

The regeneration will focus on three areas:

• a new Green Port and improved infrastructure
• refurbishing key assets in the Royal Harbour
• new food and hospitality spaces

Creating a new Green Port

The Green Port will become a centre of excellence for:

• zero carbon maritime logistics
• renewable energy

New opportunities in The Royal Harbour

This area will see a new hotel and restaurant in the Smack Boys’ building. It will provide training opportunities in hospitality. This will complement a new facility for the local fishing fleet to store and sell their catch.

New community spaces

There will be two new spaces for the community in key areas of Ramsgate. These spaces will help local people to access the new jobs being created through capital investment projects. This will help to address some of the inequalities and challenges faced by many local residents.

Benefiting local people in Ramsgate

The investment will bring a host of benefits to the area, including:

• improving connections between Ramsgate’s communities
• creating opportunities for local businesses to grow
• offering skills development for residents
• creating new employment opportunities

Councillor Ash Ashbee, Leader of Thanet District Council, said:

This is absolutely fantastic news for the district. This funding will make a huge difference to the communities, businesses, and stakeholders in Ramsgate. It will help to boost Thanet’s wider economy and provide new jobs and training opportunities for many local people.

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

The Grade A listed former temperance hall sits in the heart of the walled City of Derry~Londonderry. The building was closed since the start of the pandemic, but now with £181,000 from the Community Ownership Fund, the hall is brought back to its former glory.

The hall has been closed since the start of the pandemic and cannot currently be reopened due to the deterioration of the building.

Preparing for the future

The hall will be future proofed by:

• working with conservation specialists to improve accessibility and plan for future adaptations
• completing urgent works to make the building safe and accessible for the public

This will enable St Columb’s Hall Trust to begin generating income to secure the Hall’s long-term future.

Preserving the past

The funding will help to:

• capture oral histories and generate awareness of heritage significance
• work with groups to research the heritage of the hall and its future
• reactivate community connection with the Hall

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

The Pontycysyllte Aqueduct, area of outstanding natural beauty, has been awarded £13.3 million from the Levelling Up Fund.

The Pontycysyllte Aqueduct is a masterpiece of engineering and a popular visitor destination. The aqueduct is a main focal point on the 11-mile stretch of the World Heritage Site. This area of outstanding natural beauty has been awarded £13.3 million from the Levelling Up Fund.

The funding will help:

• secure its future as a prime heritage asset
• maximise the potential of the site

Trevor Basin plan to expand tourism benefits

The initial phases of the Trevor Basin Technical Masterplan will deliver:

• refocusing of the site around the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
• a range of visitor improvements

This will include investment to:

• develop a new walking route in Dee Valley and the area around the aqueduct
• set up a woodland activity and education area
• rewild former industrial land
• create a new arrival area

Upgrading the visitor experience

The investment will improve connectivity, including:

• improving links between Llangollen and the Wenffrwd Nature Reserve
• an active travel route for walking and cycling along a disused railway line
• a new public space at Llangollen’s Castle Street and Abbey Road junction
• new visitor facilities at Horseshoe Falls

Improved access across the site will deliver health and well-being benefits for future visitors.

Improvements to Corwen Station

Station and car park upgrades include:

• an active travel route along the former railway line between Corwen and Cynwyd
• electric vehicle charging points

These improvements will:

• bring the area back to life as a global tourist attraction
• provide a major boost to the local economy

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

£300,000 was allocated from the Community Ownership Fund to transform the Old Town Hall in Whithorn, Galloway. The funding will help the town hall become more accessible, functional and support working towards Net-Zero.

Plans for the building

The Grade B listed Georgian town hall is set to turn into a new social enterprise that will offer training to young people in:

• traditional stonemasonry
• joinery skills

It will also showcase energy efficiency innovation for hard-to-treat Georgian buildings.

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

£200,000 from the Community Ownership Fund has been awarded to the Wharf Community Hub in Marple.

The project will regenerate the Grade II listed building to create a local community hub.

The Wharf Warehouse

The Warehouse building has been a key part of the community since the early 1800s but is now in a poor state of repair.

Plans for the funding include renovating the building and creating a:

• health and wellbeing studio
• heritage centre
• canal side café

Benefits to the local community

The hub will provide a place for the community to come together and a chance for people to learn about Marple’s canal transport heritage.

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

The Community Ownership Fund allocated £124,258 to the CANA Resource and Training Centre. The centre is in a converted nineteenth century chapel in the Pen-y-Waun estate in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

The funding will:

• equip locals with appropriate skills and qualifications
• set up a training centre

Equipping local people for local jobs

This training centre will help local people gain the skills needed for jobs in the area, and those expected to be in demand in the future.

The investment will help regenerate the physical structure of the building. It will also provide a facility that generates an income. This will ensure the centre’s sustainability in the long term.