Harrogate miss out on bid for millions as Government reject Levelling Up request

The news will come as a huge blow to Harrogate Borough Council which had bid for £20m from the £2.1bn fund to help with the £49m upgrade of the Convention Centre.

While questions will now be asked if that project can now go ahead, there are also accusations this morning that the Government has once again ignored the north and granted more cash to the south of the country.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has defended giving more levelling up money to the south-east of England than the north-east in the latest funding allocation, but his pleas of fairness are likely to fall of deaf ears within the halls of Harrogate Borough Council and the new North Yorkshire Council which will take over the proposed refurbishment when it takes power across the county in April.

More than 100 projects awarded share of £2.1 billion from Round 2 of government’s flagship Levelling Up Fund with £672 million to develop better transport links, £821 million to kick-start community regeneration and £594 million to restore local heritage sites.

Harrogate Borough Council had hoped they were in a strong position to get the funding after allowing the Convention Centre to be used as a Covid Nightingale Hospital throughout the pandemic – while no agreement was struck, it had been hoped that a levelling up bid would be looked upon favourably.

The fact that such a huge chunk of the £49m cash has not been forthcoming from the Government must now put the plans into doubt, despite Convention Centre Director Paula Lorimer and senior councillors stating how vital the major refurbishment is for the future of the facility.

The government has confirmed there will be a further round of the Levelling Up Fund, ‘providing more opportunity to level up places across the UK’ but whether HBC or the new North Yorkshire Council sees it as a worthwhile exercise to bid again, remains to be seen.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said: "We are firing the starting gun on more than a hundred transformational projects in every corner of the UK that will revitalise communities that have historically been overlooked but are bursting with potential.

“This new funding will create jobs, drive economic growth, and help to restore local pride. We are delivering on the people’s priorities, levelling up across the UK to ensure that no matter where you are from, you can go as far as your talents will take you.”

Some of the projects which did get pay-outs include:

Eden Project North will receive £50 million to transform a derelict site on Morecambe’s seafront into a world class visitor attraction. It will also kick-start regeneration more widely in Morecambe, creating jobs, supporting tourism and encouraging investment in the seaside town.

Cardiff Crossrail has been allocated £50 million from the fund to improve the journey to and from the city and raise the economic performance of the wider region.

Blackpool Council and Wyre Council will receive £40 million to deliver a new Multiversity, a carbon-neutral, education campus in Blackpool’s Talbot Gateway Central Business District. This historic funding allows Blackpool and The Fylde College to replace their ageing out-of-town centre facilities with world-class state-of-the-art ones in the heart of the town centre. The Multiversity will promote higher-level skills, including automation and artificial intelligence, helping young people secure jobs of the future.

Nearly £27 million has been guaranteed for a new roll-on, roll-off ferry for Fair Isle in the Shetland Islands. The service is a lifeline for the island, supporting its residents, visitors and supply chains, and without its replacement the community will become further isolated.

A total of £20 million is going towards the regeneration of Gateshead Quays and the Sage, which will include a new arena, exhibition centre, hotels, and other hospitality. The development will attract nearly 800,000 visitors a year and will create more than 1,150 new jobs.

A £50 million grant will help create a new direct train service, linking 4 of Cornwall’s largest urban areas: Newquay, St Austell, Truro, and Falmouth/Penryn. This will level up access to jobs, skills, education, and amenities in one of the most economically disadvantaged areas in the UK.

There is £5.1 million to build new female changing rooms in 20 rugby clubs across Northern Ireland.