Selecting towns for the Towns Fund

On 27 July 2019, the government announced the £3.6 billion Towns Fund for England, to support towns that currently do not have the right conditions to develop and sustain strong local economies and recognising that many towns have not benefited from the growth experienced by cities over recent decades. Its aim is to provide a … Show more

On 27 July 2019, the government announced the £3.6 billion Towns Fund for England, to support towns that currently do not have the right conditions to develop and sustain strong local economies and recognising that many towns have not benefited from the growth experienced by cities over recent decades. Its aim is to provide a selection of struggling towns across England with funding to address issues such as ageing populations, limited regional economic opportunities and lack of investment. In September 2019, MHCLG published its selection of 101 towns across England to be invited to bid for up to £25m each. Concerns were raised in the media, including by some MPs, over the lack of transparency of in the selection process, with some observers suggesting the selection of towns was politically motivated. MHCLG has not published information on the selection process and the NAO report published 21 July 2020 on the selection process for the funding was the first time the details have been made public. The selection process comprised two stages: an initial assessment by MHCLG officials, scoring all towns across England against a range of criteria - followed by the selection, by ministers, of 101 towns to be invited to bid for Town Deals. The Committee will question senior officials from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. If you have evidence on these issues, please submit it here by Thursday 10 September 2020. Show less