As Parliament debated the Government’s £5 billion investment for local communities on Monday (13 October), the MP for Heywood and Middleton North urged Rochdale Council to prioritise Middleton for its £1.5 million allocation under the Pride in Place programme.
Elsie Blundell MP said Middleton risked “being left behind” while other parts of the borough, such as Heywood and Hurstead & Smallbridge, had already received multi-million-pound regeneration funding.
“We’ve seen successful programmes for Heywood, and now Hurstead & Smallbridge, be allocated £20 million to transform their neighbourhoods,” she said. “I fought hard to get Heywood’s funding confirmed by the new Government, and now we must focus on Middleton to save it from being left behind.”
The MP added that the next step was for Rochdale Council to “listen to the community, ask them for their ideas and work with them”.
Ms Blundell has raised the issue in Parliament and in discussions with Downing Street, saying she was “extremely pleased” that the Government had announced the wider £5 billion fund in September.
Following a recent community meeting in Middleton, she said residents felt “immensely proud” of their town but wanted more confidence in the state of their parks and high streets. “We need to reflect their hopes and vision in a plan for how we spend this money,” she added.
The Pride in Place programme forms part of the Government’s broader levelling-up strategy, which aims to support local areas through targeted regeneration, transport improvements, and community-led development.
The call from Ms Blundell comes amid wider investment announcements affecting Rochdale Borough, including £1.6 billion for local roadsand £1.31 million for early-years support under the Start for Life initiative.
Rochdale Council has yet to confirm how its Pride in Place allocation will be distributed across towns, but discussions are expected in upcoming cabinet meetings.
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