CITY CALLS FOR £73M WINDFALL IN BUDGET

MPS and business leaders step up regeneration bid

STOKE-ON-TRENT’S MPS and business leaders have asked Rishi Sunak to give the city a £73.5 million windfall in this week’s autumn Budget.

A joint letter has been sent to the Chancellor ahead of his Budget speech tomorrow, making the case for Stokeon-trent’s four bids to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund to be approved.

Major regeneration projects such as the redevelopment of the East-west site in Hanley and the transformation of Swift House into the Goods Yard will receive a boost if the Levelling Up bids are successful.

The letter, which has been signed by city MPS Jack

Brereton, Jo Gideon and Jonathan Gullis, says the return on investment of Stoke-ontrent’s bids will be ‘second to none’ in the ‘transformational effect’ they will have.

Stoke-on-trent City Council leader Abi Brown, Stokeon-trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership chairman Alun Rogers, and Sara Williams, CEO of Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce, have also signed the letter.

It states: “These bids are of great importance to our city which over the years has seen a concerning level of deprivation.

“We passionately believe that all four bids, delivered as a whole, complement each other, and maximise returns on existing Government investment via the Transforming Cities Fund, the Housing Infrastructure Fund, Heritage Action Zones, and others. If our Government is committed to a levelling up agenda, then it is important that areas such as Stoke-on-trent are given this funding.

“We know that pressures on the public purse are intense, and we strongly believe that our bids will provide a return on investment second to none in transformational effect.

“Stoke-on-trent is on the brink of transformation from a city in relentless decline to one of optimism, opportunity, and sustainable growth. Our bids provide the needed impetus.”

The three Stoke-on-trent MPS also visited 10 Downing Street last week to make the case.

Mr Brereton said: “We want to see fresh investment and opportunity in our city and we will not stop until Stoke-ontrent gets what it truly deserves.

“We have made clear Stokeon-trent has been ignored for far too long and now must be our time.”