Castleford to be given £20million funding by Government to 'level up' town and tackle anti-social behaviour

As the Conservative Party Conference got underway on October 1, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the new long-term vision for towns, backed by £1billion of investment, was about putting “funding in the hands of local people” to improve their communities.

Among the 55 towns to get the £20million endowment-style funding is Castleford, with other Yorkshire towns and cities on the list including Doncaster, Rotherham, Barnsley, Keighley, Dewsbury and Scarborough.

It is set to be used on local priorities such as reviving high streets, tackling anti-social behaviour, improving transport, boosting visitor numbers and growing the local economy.

Making the announcement, Mr Sunak said: “Towns are the place most of us call home and where most of us go to work. But politicians have always taken towns for granted and focused on cities.

“The result is the half-empty high streets, rundown shopping centres and anti-social behaviour that undermine many towns’ prosperity and hold back people’s opportunity — and without a new approach, these problems will only get worse.

“That changes today. Our ‘Long-Term Plan for Towns’ puts funding in the hands of local people themselves to invest in line with their priorities, over the long-term. That is how we level up.”

In response to the new “levelling up” plan, Shadow Home Secretary, and Labour MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford, Yvette Cooper, said: “The Tories have hit the Yorkshire economy and cut well over £100m a year from Wakefield District funding.

"So, the new town funding, which is spread over ten years, doesn’t come anywhere near reversing the damage they have done to our communities.

"The additional funding for Castleford is welcome and I am calling for more police in the town centre as well as support to boost shops in town. But all our towns need support.

"Shamefully the Tories have once again ignored our bid for Government funding for Knottingley, which is getting the worst deal.

“Last year we submitted a bid for £18m of investment for leisure facilities for Knottingley to give the town back its heart - but they turned us down even though Knottingley met all the criteria.

"All our towns need a better deal.”