Two Staffordshire councils to receive Government funding following riots
The money is to help clean up or bring the community closer.
Two councils in Staffordshire will share £1.2 million from a new fund aimed at helping areas affected by last month’s riots.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Tamworth Borough Council have each been allocated £600,000 from the government’s £15 million Community Recovery Fund.
The money could be used to repair damage to high streets and buildings, or pay for schemes aimed at strengthening community cohesion. Hanley and Tamworth were among the towns and cities across England hit by violent disorder in August, following the mass stabbing in Southport.
On Saturday August 10, opposing groups of anti-Muslim protestors and Muslim counter-protestors clashed in the city centre, with members of both groups wielding weapons. Another group of protestors gathered in Tamworth on Sunday, August 11, and during the unrest the town’s Holiday Inn Express was set alight while people were inside the building.
Dozens of people have been arrested in connection with the incidents, and more than 20 have so far been charged with offences.
As well as announcing the new fund, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said the government would be ‘laser-focused’ on dealing with the factors that led to the unrest with the formation of a communities and recovery steering group. She said: “In the immediate aftermath of the unrest, I was heartened to see the extent to which communities so quickly came together to support one another and their local areas.
“This new Community Recovery Fund will support the work that is already underway and ensure that communities have the resources they need to rebuild.”
Carol Dean, leader of Tamworth Borough Council, welcomed the funding announcement. She said: “I’m pleased the government had recognised the need for support to help us build more cohesive communities in the aftermath of the dreadful events that happened in Tamworth on the 4 August.
“We have already met with local partners and community leaders to consider how to tackle the local challenges in Tamworth, and we will continue to work with these organisations to plan how to rebuild and strengthen our communities.”