Communities across Scotland are set to receive a major boost, with nearly £300 million of UK Government funding being put directly into the hands of local people to improve their towns and
neighbourhoods.
The Pride in Place programme will channel up to £280 million into 12 Scottish local authorities, focusing on areas that need regeneration most. From new housing and jobs to revitalised high streets, improved transport, and safer streets, the funding will target the changes that make the biggest difference to everyday life.
On top of this, a Pride in Place Impact Fund will give eight Scottish councils £12 million to deliver the improvements residents themselves have asked for – such as parks, play areas, sports facilities, green spaces, and stronger community hubs.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
“For too long, people have watched their towns and streets decline – powerless to stop boarded-up shops and neglected parks. That ends now.
We’re investing in the UK’s future, by backing the true patriots that build our communities up in neighbourhoods across every corner of the country. Because it’s people who bring pride, hope and life to our communities.
This is a huge investment, but what matters most is who decides how it’s spent: the neighbours, volunteers and parents who know their communities best – the people with real skin in the game.
We’re choosing renewal over decline, unity over division. This is our Plan for Change in action – giving power and pride back to the people who make Britain great”.
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said:
“The UK Government is committed to delivering a decade of national renewal for Scotland. Through the Pride in Place programmes we’re announcing today, the UK Government will provide 14 places in Scotland with up to £20 million over 10 years and eight Scottish local authorities with £1.5 million over two years.
We are providing almost £300 million new direct investment to local authority areas to revitalise local communities. The UK Government will be working with local partners to deliver economic growth and l see these improvements made to communities up and down Scotland making them even greater places to live, work and play”.
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed said:
“Building pride in place starts with people, not politics. Local people know what they want to see in their neighbourhoods – and they don’t need government to dictate it.
This plan will spark an historic grassroots movement that will restore local people’s power, boost national pride and help people get on in life across the UK as part of our Plan for Change”.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said:
“We’re giving local people the power to transform their hometowns. Giving them more control of how money is spent where they live so that together we can invest in Britain’s renewal and build an economy that rewards working people.
This £5 billion investment doesn’t just reverse decades of underinvestment in our public infrastructure – it cuts through the bureaucracy by giving local people the power to deliver the change they want to see”.
Building on progress already underway
The Pride in Place programme expands on the Plan for Neighbourhoods, which earlier this year committed £200 million to 10 Scottish towns. Residents there are already shaping the future of their communities:
In Elgin, over 1,000 ideas have been submitted, including tackling empty shops and revamping the shopping centre.
In Peterhead, locals are funding better CCTV to reduce anti-social behaviour and investing in new indoor sports and leisure facilities.
Now, with Pride in Place, even more Scottish communities will have the chance to take control of their future and bring life back into their towns and streets.