26th Sep 2026 09:44
(Alliance News) - Andy Burnham has unveiled a GBP210 million package aimed at regenerating communities and bringing life back to high streets.
It comes as the UK prime minister heads to his first Labour Party conference as leader later this week, where he is expected to set out a "new direction" for the country.
Vacant shopping centres, disused cinemas and abandoned local eyesores across England will be revamped, according to Burnham's plans.
A GBP125 million derelict buildings fund will be available to transform mothballed and dilapidated buildings, the government said, in addition to an GBP85 million pot which will help communities take over neglected pubs, clubs and shops.
It forms part of funding earmarked by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government for high street support and regeneration.
Burnham said: "People don't measure growth by looking at a spreadsheet. They measure it by looking at their local high street. Are shops opening or are the shutters down? Does the place feel like it's moving forward or being left behind?
"The truth is that too many high streets have been left to hollow out, leaving town centres a shell of what they once were. That must change, and today's funding will help put power back into the hands of locals who know their area best.
"That's how we restore pride and bring hope back. Not by telling people things are getting better, but by giving them the power to see and feel the difference where they live."
An additional GBP65 million has been allocated to rescuing businesses and buildings at risk of closure, such as pubs and sports clubs.
A further GBP20 million aims to help communities set up co-operative businesses and let out empty units in High Street Rental Auctions.
Communities Secretary Angela Rayner said: "Nobody knows a high street better than the community that it belongs to. That's why this money puts power directly into their hands.
"We'll see boarded-up buildings that have been left to rack and ruin turned into places people are proud to visit again, the pubs and clubs that mean so much to them thriving once more, and local businesses growing and creating jobs that put money back into their own community.
"That's what this government is about. Backing the people who know their communities best, and giving them the tools to shape their own future and breathe new life into their high streets."
First Secretary of State Louise Haigh said: "For too long, places in every part of the country have been overlooked by Westminster. High streets neglected, town centres left in decline and local assets left to decay.
"This investment will help to regenerate and breathe new life into our communities – giving local people the resources and powers they need to make a real change.
"This is what devolution means in practice – empowering local leaders to fix things that are broken and protect the things that matter most to people.
"This is what a rewired state looks like: a government focused on delivering for the people of the country and empowering communities in the hands of the people who live in them."
By Rhiannon James, Press Association Parliamentary Editor
Press Association: Finance
source: PA
Copyright 2026 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.