Mayor demands answers over Levelling Up fund allocations

Sheffield city region mayor Dan Jarvis has called on the government to explain how it is going to allocate its new £4.8bn Levelling Up Fund.

The first details of the fund were announced as part of the chancellor’s 2021 Budget earlier this week.

However, Treasury documents show Rishi Sunak’s Richmond constituency had been identified as ‘category one’ for support from the Levelling Up Fund, with Barnsley and Sheffield placed in ‘category two’.

Poorer areas like Halton (Liverpool City Region) and Salford (Greater Manchester) were also placed in the lower priority group for support.

Mr Jarvis warned ministers were in danger of ‘a repeat of the Towns Fund fiasco’, which was criticised by the public accounts committee last year for its lack of transparency.

‘It beggars belief that the chancellor’s relatively affluent Richmond constituency is considered to be in greater need of levelling up investment than Barnsley and Sheffield,’ said Mr Jarvis.

‘It’s yet again proof that this government’s actions are levelling South Yorkshire down – pushing our region and some of the poorest places in the North to the back of the queue for investment.

‘I’m pushing the chancellor and the Treasury to publish the allocation formula immediately. They must dispel any notion that this is a repeat of the Towns Fund fiasco.’

A Treasury spokesperson said: ‘All local areas in the UK will be able to apply for funding through the levelling up fund. The bandings do not represent eligibility criteria – and money will be allocated to the areas most in need. Further technical details will be published by the government in due course.’

Photo Credit – Sheffield City Region Combined Authority