Government 'must carefully consider' Sefton's levelling up needs

A council has urged the government carefully consider its levelling up bids due to a disparity between parts of the area it covers.

Sefton Council said it had been placed in the same category as prosperous areas such as Cambridge and Windsor, despite it being responsible for one of the most deprived areas in the country.

It said it wanted £30.3m to tackle deprivation in Crosby and Bootle.

The government said money is awarded through a "fair" and "robust" process.

The borough of Sefton covers less well-off areas like Bootle and Crosby and the more affluent areas of Southport and Formby.

Council leader Ian Maher said he was "disappointed" the government had placed the borough in the lowest category for funding and urged ministers "to see beyond these broad criteria".

He said they should "take a close look at the specific problems we are facing and work with us to address them to create opportunities for the people and businesses of Sefton".

The council said the £20m bid for Bootle would be used to transform the Bootle Strand and turn unused land alongside the Leeds-Liverpool Canal into green spaces.

It would also be used to improve the town's cultural and art spaces as well as funding education and training, business support and a new health and social care hub.

It said the £10.3m requested for Crosby town centre would fund a programme of regeneration including building a new learning, health and well-being centre housing a library, and community health care.

Bootle's Labour MP Peter Dowd said the money was needed to "break the spiral of decline".

He said Bootle's economy had been severely impacted by Covid-19 and the relocation of HMRC.

He said it included "one of the country's most deprived areas in terms of health, employment, income education and skills".

"There is a pressing need for significant intervention to break the spiral of decline," he said.

He added that the council's decision to "acquire Bootle Strand and put it at the heart of the town's transitional regeneration programme is a brave and ambitious step".

He and fellow Labour MP Bill Esterson, who represents Sefton Central, have written to the government in support of the council's bids.

They said the packages have the ability "to significantly improve the prospects for residents and the communities" of their constituencies.

Mr Esterson said he wanted ministers and officials "to give full consideration to this proposal, which could deliver transformational change and address many issues of deprivation and decline".

A spokesman for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: "Awards are made using a fair, robust and transparent methodology to ensure we reach places most in need.

"The Liverpool city region has received £80m so far, including £19.6m for improvements to the Birkenhead waterfront and £37.5m to improve transport in the region."

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