By Judith Tonner

Copyright dailyrecord

Lanarkshire’s two councils are to receive a combined £41.5 million in UK government funding for regeneration and community projects. Both North and South Lanarkshire are among the 14 Scottish local authorities to have been allocated up to £20m each under an extended “plan for neighbourhoods” as part of the Pride in Place initiative, which Westminster says is designed to “transform neighbourhoods”. North Lanarkshire is also receiving a further £1.5m from the project’s Impact fund – in addition to previously-announced funding of £20m specifically for projects in Coatbridge. Pride in Place funding is to be used “to precisely target areas which can benefit most from funding being made available for a wide range of regeneration projects”, with the UK government adding that the grants are going to 169 of the “most-in-need communities” across the UK. They add that potential projects include “revitalising high streets and town centres, preserving local heritage, providing housing, creating jobs, boosting productivity and skills, improving health and wellbeing, creating new transport links, providing education and opportunity and improving safety and security”. Neighbourhoods in the two Lanarkshire authorities which will benefit from the respective £20m grants will be selected by the Scotland Office and the UK Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government later this year, following the involvement of “local partners” in the decision-making process. Spending of the additional £1.5m from the Impact fund for North Lanarkshire will be determined by the council itself, and will be spent over the next two years. It is one of 95 areas across the UK receiving a sum “to fund the types of changes people have said they want to see – these could include new green spaces, play areas and town centre revitalisation to sports and leisure facilities and the improvement and ownership of key community assets”. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “For too long, people have watched their towns and streets decline – powerless to stop boarded-up shops and neglected parks. That ends now. “We’re investing in the UK’s future, by backing the true patriots that build our communities up in neighbourhoods across every corner of the country. Because it’s people who bring pride, hope and life to our communities. “This is a huge investment, but what matters most is who decides how it’s spent – the neighbours, volunteers and parents who know their communities best, the people with real skin in the game.” Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “We’re giving local people the power to transform their hometowns, giving them more control of how money is spent where they live. It cuts through bureaucracy by giving local people the power to deliver the change they want to see.” Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander added: “The UK Government is committed to delivering a decade of national renewal for Scotland – we are providing almost £300m new direct investment to local authority areas to revitalise communities. “We will be working with local partners to deliver economic growth and l see these improvements made to communities up and down Scotland making them even greater places to live, work and play.” News of the funding, totalling £292m across Scotland, was welcomed by the Scottish Chambers of Commerce – who want to see local businesses involved as a “key element” in the discussions around regeneration and revitalisation. The organisation says: “Successful businesses investing in our towns and cities and creating employment opportunities for local people are key to regeneration; the blight which vacant and derelict land and buildings create is a serious problem in some locations around Scotland, but understanding the causes and designing deliverable, sustainable responses is key. “Chambers of Commerce across Scotland are already working closely with local authorities and other agencies to drive this critical agenda; the network has the benefit of real-time intelligence from businesses which will support better decision-making on how to deliver growth that is impactful and inclusive, for the benefit of our towns and cities, their people and businesses.” Vice-president Doug Smith said: “Both the prime minister and secretary of state have emphasised the importance of communities being engaged in decisions about how this welcome new funding is directed. “The Scottish Chambers network includes many hundreds of business members operating across these cities and towns, so there is a real opportunity to engage with local business communities to ensure that their knowledge and experience is used to ensure benefits of this funding are maximised and opportunities for parallel private-sector investment identified. “We await the full details of this strategy for renewal to see if the Government’s policy can live up to its ambitions.” * Don’t miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here . And did you know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook ? Head on over and give us a like and share!