Levelling Up! What is it and what does it mean for Manchester?

We are a great country, but one thing is holding us back. While talent is spread equally across the UK, too often opportunity is not.

Levelling Up is about making sure everyone from every corner of our country has access to decent, well-paid jobs, and good public transport, hospitals and schools. Levelling Up is about closing the gap between the ‘best off’ parts of our country and the ones that have been struggling.

That’s why the Government is shifting its resources and focus to the parts of the UK that have too often been forgotten.

In these communities, town centres are going to be regenerated, jobs created through businesses being encouraged to invest, and hospitals, schools, and public transport improved.

Lancashire has received £320m in investment and is on track to deliver up to 11,000 new jobs and 3,900 new homes. The area will also benefit from £1.2bn of private investment. The Regional Growth Fund has provided £43.6m to support businesses and improve rail links.

Improving people’s quality of life is a big priority, and new programmes are starting that will increase physical activity as part of a Sport England pilot, along with more support for people with drug and alcohol dependency to help them get into employment.

More than £15m will be invested in flood defences over the next five years, protecting homes and livelihoods of people in the local area. And there are also regeneration programmes for Burnley, Blackpool, Preston and Leyland – as well as £34.9m to support highways maintenance, pothole repairs and local transport measures. All this will bring more opportunities to the area and make it a better place to live for residents.

Boosting the local community

The last two years have been among the