Local MP Robert Largan has expressed his disappointment with Labour-controlled High Peak Borough Council’s failure to submit a bid for funding from the Government’s £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund.
Earlier this year, High Peak was identified as one of the top priority areas for the Fund and the Government have pledged to provide the Council with over £100,000 to help develop the strongest possible bid.
When the Fund was first announced back in March, the High Peak MP held a meeting with the Council to discuss how they could work together on possible bids. They agreed to look at the feasibility of some of the proposals discussed.
However, after that initial meeting, the Council would not meet with Robert Largan MP to discuss the bid again until June when they informed him that there was not enough time for them to submit a bid by the deadline.
This Fund is a chance to secure up to £20 million for the High Peak and many local projects urgently need money to be made into reality.
The Council have said they did not have enough time to submit a bid but plenty of other councils managed to put together bids before the deadline.
Robert Largan MP commented:
“I am very disappointed that High Peak Borough Council have not submitted a bid to the £4.8billion Levelling Up Fund.
“When the Fund was first announced back in March, I held a meeting with the Council to discuss how we could work together on possible bids. They agreed to look at the feasibility of some of the proposals discussed and come back to me. Unfortunately, despite my requests, the Council refused to meet me again until this month, when they informed me that they would not be submitting a bid.
“Since then, I have raised the matter in Parliament with Ministers and fortunately, the Government have indicated that there will be a second round to the Fund sometime next year. The Council have now agreed to submit a letter of intent to the Government, indicating that they do intend to submit a bid next time.
“I really hope that we can work on a cross-party basis to put in the strongest possible bid and secure much-needed investment in our area. This shouldn’t be a party-political issue. Let’s work together to make the High Peak even better!”
