Parliament to debate 'leveling up' in Rotherham
A new fund could see the town getting £20 million from the government
Last updated 13th May 2021
MPs will debate how Rotherham can be revitalised later after claims the town's been left behind the rest of the country for decades.
Rother Valley MP Alexander Stafford's leading a session highlighting the opportunities the Leveling Up Fund could offer the area.
It's a pot of government money to help boost neglected communities across England.
The council's putting in a bid - Mr Stafford says the money could make a huge difference to the high streets in his constituency:
"Twenty million pounds is a huge amount of money and our high streets in Dinnington, Thurcroft, Maltby and Swallownest have been neglected for years.
"And I want this money to revitalise our high street, bring back jobs, clean up our high street and just make them better places for people to live, work and shop.
"To me leveling up is about getting the same opportunities - jobs, money, internet, health - into areas in the North such as the Rother Valley that have been neglected over the decades. "
But Rotherham Council tells us the fund falls "way short" of what's needed to truly level up the area.
Leader Chris Read says it's been difficult to apply for and is nothing compared to the cuts in the authority's budget:
"We've seen over the course of the last eleven years money being pulled out of communities like ours by the government. The council's budget alone is down by £200 million each and every year. So, whilst we want to see this money coming in, this is one-off funding of up to £20 million.
"I think it's a noble ambition from the government. I'm afraid their actions so far fall a long way short of what's required"
"I will always welcome investment in Rotherham - I'm the Leader of the Council, I want the place to be as good as it can possibly can be for the people who live here. So if we can get hold of that money then so much the better. But this is a badly designed fund - it won't deliver sustainable long-term change. I'm afraid people will feel let down by the end of it."
There was criticism of the Leveling Up Fund when it was announced earlier this year because it prioritises certain parts of the country over others.
Sheffield City Region Mayor Dan Jarvis was angry the Chancellor's wealthy Richmondshire constituency was on the top priority list above both Sheffield and Barnsley.
But Alexander Stafford says it's being targeted at the right parts of the country:
"I can't comment too much on the metrics - that's done by the civil servants. But if you come and say to me parts of Maltby are wealthy when Maltby is in the fifth lowest percentile for deprivation in the entire country. I would say well actually the money is focussing on those communities that really need it."