Leeds residents launch petition after Government rejects £120m Levelling Up bids

Leeds City Council applied for six constituency bids totalling £120.8million as part of the round two Levelling Up Fund. The council said its ambitious plans would have "breathed new life” into parks, transport infrastructure and local economies across the city’s six parliamentary constituencies that have not yet received levelling up or towns deal funding.

The bids promised transformational change for some of the most deprived communities in the country – including redeveloping Fearnville Leisure Centre into a huge new wellbeing centre for east Leeds, transforming Armley’s high street and improving transport infrastructure in north west Leeds.

But none of the bids were successful, the Government announced last week, prompting an angry response from the leader of the council – who said it was “incredibly disappointing” that the “high-quality, well-constructed bids” were ignored.

Meanwhile, The Prime Minister's own Richmond constituency in Yorkshire is receiving £19m in funding, with money going to Catterick Garrison to regenerate the town centre. A petition has now been signed by almost 300 people, calling on the Government to reverse its decision.

Councillor Helen Hayden, Executive Member for Infrastructure and Climate, said: “I’m shocked at the lack of Leeds projects in this round of the Levelling Up Fund. All our submissions were excellent, and we worked closely with Government to refine our bids to ensure there were no reasons for them to be dismissed.

“It really is difficult to understand how some of the most deprived communities in the country have lost out on this funding, while the Prime Minister’s own affluent Richmondshire constituency is getting £20m on its own.

“This is a real let down for the people of Leeds, in particular those people in the communities that this funding was supposedly created to support. It’s reassuring to see the people of Leeds share my dismay and are showing it through this petition. I would urge everyone to sign it to send a real message to Government that this lack of funding is unacceptable.”