Successful Levelling Up Bid

Following the Comprehensive Spending Review announcement (27 October), Newham Council’s two Levelling Up bids have been given the green light by government, with nearly £40m awarded to the local authority – the highest award out of the £65m allocated to London.

A sum of £2m from their Connecting the Opportunity bid is secured for Lochnagar Bridge while another £500K is secured for cultural interventions to the Leaway Path.

Today’s announcement will bring much needed funding to support the Council’s ambitious agenda for economic growth, skills and place-making in the borough through its Connected Neighbourhood’s programme, linked to the use of data and digital technologies; and 15 Minute Neighbourhoods to promote health and well-being and respond to the climate emergency through investment in upgrading neighbourhood infrastructure.

“I’m delighted that both our Levelling Up bids to government have been successful, and we’ve been awarded the full amount that we had bid for. My thanks to Lyn Brown MP and Stephen Timms MP for backing our bids; as well as our partners including the Mayor of London. We’ll now get cracking with delivering these much needed programmes for the benefit of our residents and linked to our recovery plans because the economic and heath impact of Covid-19 has been huge and damaging for our communities.”

“However, the national Levelling Up debate, pitting the north over the south, has skewed the reality of scarring inequalities that exist across London. That’s why we must continue pressing for fairer funding to all of local government, especially areas of huge deprivation like East London, so that no community is ignored or forgotten.”