Burton upon Trent given assurances over £24m levelling-up cash

An MP has been in contact with the government in a bid to safeguard levelling-up funding after councillors threw out plans for a multimillion-pound revamp of Burton upon Trent.

The area secured £23.8m from the Towns Fund which was earmarked for several regeneration projects.

However, on Monday plans were rejected by East Staffordshire Borough Council.

Ben Robinson, chair of the Town Board said the area risked "throwing away a wonderful opportunity".

However, Kate Griffiths, Conservative MP for Burton, said she had been assured the funding would still be available.

Some of the projects, such as proposals to move Burton library to the market hall, had faced public criticism, with some suggesting it was a poor use of funds.

After Monday's vote, the Conservative leader of the local authority, Duncan Goodfellow, resigned and Mr Robinson, who works on regeneration projects for the town, described the decision as a "major blow to the future prosperity of Burton".

"This is a once in a generation opportunity to draw down funding to transform a town we all call home and all care about and that is now in real danger of being lost," he said.

However, Ms Griffiths said when she raised the issue with the Secretary of State, he confirmed he was still committed to supporting the Town Deal bid.

Unrest about how local leaders intended to spend this money, meant for breathing new life into the town, had been building for some time.

Various elements of the five projects proposed this week had already been reworked, or thrown out altogether, such as plans to build a multimillion-pound pedestrian and cycling bridge in the Washlands area, which also faced heavy local scepticism.

But most contentious among the final package were plans to move Burton Library into the market hall nearby. Those against the plan argued it was a costly waste of crucial funding and difficult to square with the idea behind "levelling up" the town when the money could be spent making the market itself a more attractive destination.

Ms Griffiths also said it was right that councillors had listened to residents in Burton upon Trent and that they "decided on balance that further reflection on the proposals was needed".

"Communities that feel heard are invested in the project's success, and their sense of pride and identity in their town can be a valuable resource for change," she said.

She added more work would now be done to present a town plan that "everyone can be proud of".

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