THE LEADER of Redditch Borough Council has welcomed the Government’s announcement of £20million of investment into Greenlands and Woodrow.
Redditch has been included in the Pride in Place Strategy, which will deliver £2million-a-year for 10 years to help regenerate the area for the community.
The funding, announced exclusively on the front page of last week’s Standard, is aimed specifically at neighbourhoods with high levels of deprivation and weak social infrastructure.
It can be used in an area to bring disused buildings back into use, create new community facilities and improve local infrastructure.
Redditch Borough Council leader, Coun Sharon Harvey, said: “This huge investment is wonderful news for Redditch and it will empower people in challenging communities that have suffered from underinvestment for too long.”
Under Government rules, the Pride in Place cash will be managed by Neighbourhood Board structures made up of local residents, elected politicians, council officers, and community and business stakeholders, with strong consultation requirements.
Required to be community-led and independently chaired, the boards will be responsible for the local regeneration plans, working closely with local authorities.
They will consult residents to shape their long-term vision for the investment and explore additional funding which may be available from other public, private, and philanthropic sources.
Government advice also includes boards which will be able to buy and repurpose for neglected properties for community benefit, using powers such as Community Right to Buy and Compulsory Purchase.
Work to establish Redditch’s board is now expected to take place between spring and summer next year, so it can submit regeneration plans for Government approval that autumn. Delivery funding would then be available from spring 2027.
Before that can happen, people in the area must be asked what their local investment priorities are. The details of that engagement will now be developed.
Coun Harvey added: “The Pride in Place programme will give real influence and input at a neighbourhood level, with a strong commitment to consultation and engagement.
“Working with a variety of stakeholders, we can create positive and meaningful impacts.
“I can’t wait for Redditch to get started on this.”
Leader of the Conservative group Coun Matt Dormer said the funding had the potential to transform some of Redditch’s most challenged neighbourhoods.
He said: “People in Redditch want to see real change on the ground – safer streets, upgraded community facilities, and derelict buildings brought back into use – not just more consultations and reports.
“To access the funding, local regeneration plans will have to be drawn up and approved by Government.
“That process must move quickly and stay firmly focused on what residents actually want to see.
“We need projects that can be delivered and make a visible difference, not ones that get lost in bureaucracy.”
He has also stressed the need for certainty.
“A 10-year promise sounds impressive, but if governments change, so can priorities.
“One way to protect our town would be for the Government to commit all £20million into a protected local fund now, with phased spending controls in place.
“That would give residents confidence the money is guaranteed for Redditch, whatever happens nationally.”
He also said if the government reorganisation went ahead he would be pressing for firm assurances that every penny remained ringfenced for Redditch and could not be diluted or redirected elsewhere.
Coun Dormer added: “With the right focus, this programme can be a catalyst for real change.
“I look forward to working constructively with residents, community leaders, and local stakeholders to make sure it delivers on its promise for Redditch.”
