Are proposals to ‘level up’ what they are cracked up to be?

As the government has just announced its second phase of levelling up strategy, we must ask ourselves –why do we need levelling up in the first place and what does this mean for Adur?

The Local Government Association notes that since 2010 local council’s have lost billions in central government funding.

This funding alongside business rates and council tax are the council’s main income generators.

As a result of losing central funding, we have seen investment in our local public services fall, forcing county councils to push costs further down onto district, borough and even parish/town councils.

This manifests itself in lack of funds for play-park equipment, weekly refuse collections and ability to fix social housing issues.

At a county level WSCC closed the family centres due to budget pressures of running high maintenance buildings.

Levelling up grant criteria notes: regenerating town centre and high streets, upgrading local transport, and investing in cultural and heritage assets as its focus.

I’m not suggesting these areas are not important, they are, but are they the priority spend areas right now for councils?

Levelling up grants are a distraction for cash stretched and under-resourced councils. It may make a good government PR story to say ‘we have invested £xx amounts in levelling up’, but that masks a decade of devastating local service cuts that fund the basics for a healthy and happy society.

These are the NHS, education, mental health support and safe and secure housing.

Do you think hydrogen infrastructure is at the top of the priority list of those in the most deprived wards?

Our neighbour authority Brighton and Hove Council won £9.5million for Kingsway seafront improvements from the levelling up grant, yet it facese a temporary accommodation and housing bill of over £2million this financial year.

Levelling up feels like a local authority scramble to pitch for a gold decorative bowl – when there’s no food in the cupboard.

CLLR CAT ARNOLD Adur district councillor for

St Mary’s ward