Northamptonshire councils miss out on levelling-up cash

Projects in Northamptonshire have missed out on a share of £4.8bn from the government's latest round of Levelling Up Fund spending.

North and West Northamptonshire councils said they were "disappointed" and were considering proposed projects would be affected.

The funds would have been used across a number of initiatives to improve facilities for residents.

Northamptonshire was not among the 111 districts awarded money.

West Northamptonshire Council's bids included £20m for a leisure centre, cinema, library and new home for health and social services in Weston Favell in Northampton.

A bid of £13m was submitted to restore the stables at Delapré Abbey in the county town, as well as creating a new wellbeing hub and establishing a cancer care centre at Northampton General Hospital.

Wendy Randall, leader of Labour group at the Conservative-run council, said: "We've had consulting to help improve our bid, and to pay out for consultants and still not get anything is really disappointing."

North Northamptonshire Council submitted a bid for £30.8m across six projects, including a new stadium and training facility at Adrenaline Alley in Corby and environmental improvements.

The money would have funded projects to develop a rail overbridge at Stanton Cross in Wellingborough and improve travel links between that town and Rushden, and the refurbishment of a historic Victorian greenhouse at Chester House in Wellingborough.

David Brackenbury, a Tory councillor at Conservative-run North Northamptonshire Council, said the bid was "sensibly ambitious".

"We put forward two strong bids with some projects which really would have helped the people who live in the county. We are very sad that these aren't being [moved] forward," he said.

"It's doubly disappointing since North Northamptonshire was designated as a Priority 1 area, which actually means that the government recognises that there's quite a large deprivation.

"All our bids were fully in conformity with the criteria that we've been asked to do."

Despite missing out on the money, North Northamptonshire was allocated £4.8m of the Shared Prosperity Funding in December to invest in a range of projects such as reducing energy costs and a new visitor centre at Rushden Lakes.

The government has confirmed there would be further rounds of money made available from the Levelling Up Fund.

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