'Levelling up spending needs local decisions'

RESPONSIBILITY for levelling up spending in Greater Manchester should be devolved to local authorities, the Shadow Chancellor has said on a visit to the region.

- CHRIS GEE

Rachel Reeves MP made the comments while visiting Bolton yesterday.

In January, Greater Manchester missed out on more than 276m of levelling up money in the latest round of government funding.

Three bids were successful, bringing nearly 60m to Trafford, Wigan and Oldham.

Bolton lost out on around 40m of funding, including a 20m package described as key’ to regenerating three areas of the town centre.

At the time, Bolton’s Conservative council leadership said they would be protesting against that decision at every level of government:

Speaking in Bolton yesterday, Ms Reeves condemned the adversarial’ process of bidding for funding and said decisions should be taken at a local level. She said: I don’t think it is the right way to make decisions about investments which are of huge significance to towns like Bolton.