Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Regeneration of Towns and High Streets

Monday 19 July 2021 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Lee Anderson inquired about the impact of increased car parking charges in Kirby-in-Ashfield despite the area receiving significant funding for regeneration.
  • Aaron Bell thanked the Secretary of State for visiting Newcastle-under-Lyme, which has received over 34 million for regeneration projects.
  • Alexander Stafford celebrated a bid submission by Rotherham Council for the levelling-up fund to improve Dinnington high street, expressing disappointment over council actions.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Lee Anderson Reform Ashfield
Housing Local Government
Context

The MP notes that Ashfield has received £70 million from various funds but is concerned about the local council's decision to double car parking charges.

Question

Now then, Ashfield has benefited from more than £70 million from the towns fund and the future high streets fund, which is welcome news to our struggling high streets, but the independent traders in Kirby-in-Ashfield are up in arms at Ashfield District Council's decision to double car parking charges on a four-hour stay. This is after it has increased its own allowances by £55,000 a year. Will my right hon. Friend please remind the politicians at Ashfield District Council that, while they are taking Government cash to help regenerate our high streets, they, too, could help by not doubling car parking charges, which hurt our shoppers, our shopworkers and our high streets?

Answer from Robert Jenrick

I am delighted that my hon. Friend's constituency has received that £70 million to deliver exciting regeneration projects across his local area. He is right to say that it would be perverse if the Government are doing so much, with his help, to support the people of Ashfield for his council not to play its part as well. We want high streets to be as accessible as possible, whether that is by car, walking or cycling, and to be attractive places for local people to visit, to live in and to shop.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No direct instruction given to the council; acknowledges concern but does not address specific ask

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q2 Aaron Bell
Housing Transport Local Government
Context

The MP visited Newcastle-under-Lyme with the Secretary of State and is pleased about a proposal for the derelict Ryecroft site.

Question

I thank the Secretary of State for coming to visit me in Newcastle-under-Lyme earlier this month. Newcastle-under-Lyme is benefiting from more than £34 million of investment through the towns deal and the future high streets fund. He knows the town very well and will know that the Ryecroft site, in particular, has been an eyesore for a long time, along with the derelict former Sainsburys site and the former civic offices. Does he therefore welcome, as I do, the fact that we now have a Conservative council under the leadership of Simon Tagg that has a proposal for the site, with the demolition of the old offices, and that with our future high streets funding we will see that developed in the next couple of years?

Answer from Robert Jenrick

It was a pleasure to visit Newcastle-under-Lyme once again with my hon. Friend—a town that I have known for more than a decade. It was heartening to see that a good Conservative council very ably led by Simon Tagg has a real 10 or 20-year plan for the town centre backed by tens of millions of pounds of Government investment. That is exactly what we want to see replicated on high streets across the country.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No direct welcome given; acknowledges proposal but does not commit formally

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q3 Simon Jupp
Economy Transport Local Government
Context

The MP is backing a bid by Devon County Council and East Devon District Council to regenerate Exmouth's town centre.

Question

I am backing an exciting multi-million-pound bid put forward by Devon County Council and East Devon District Council to help regenerate east Devon's largest town, Exmouth. If the bid is successful, the planned Dinan Way extension will improve journeys into Exmouth and cut congestion, and will also see the town centre spruced up around the train station. What steps will my right hon. Friend take to make sure that every corner of the country, including the south-west, sees the full benefits of levelling up?

Answer from Robert Jenrick

We have already committed over £430 million of investment in the south-west alone through the getting building fund, the future high streets fund and the towns fund. My hon. Friend and I have spoken many times about Exmouth and I visited the town with him a year or so ago. It is exactly the kind of place that these funds were designed to support. I very much look forward to reviewing the advice from my officials with regard to the bid for the levelling up fund, and, if it is a successful bid, to seeing positive change for his constituents in the months and years ahead.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No direct commitment given; acknowledges importance but no specific timeline or funding amount stated

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q4 Alexander Stafford
Transport Local Government
Context

The MP submitted a petition and debate to improve Dinnington high street but is disappointed that other high streets in Rother Valley have not received bids.

Question

It is great to be able to announce that after a long campaign through my parliamentary petition and an Adjournment debate in this House, a bid for the levelling-up fund has been submitted by Rotherham Council to improve Dinnington high street. However, I am greatly disappointed that Rotherham Council has not submitted a bid for other high streets across Rother Valley such as Maltby, Thurcroft and Swallownest. What can this Government do to ensure that Rotherham Council has plans for and improves all our high streets across Rother Valley?

Answer from Robert Jenrick

I wish my hon. Friend a happy birthday. I am delighted that the council put in a bid for Dinnington high street, where he and I met for the first time in 2019. He asks a very important question about what the Government will do for smaller towns across the country, particularly those in ex-mining and ex-steel communities—places that I know well in north Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire. That is one reason that we brought forward the levelling-up fund, which I hope his constituency will benefit from. It does require councils such as Rotherham to step up and develop with their local Member of Parliament high-quality bids, so I hope it will do so in the years ahead for the other towns in his constituency.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific encouragement given; acknowledges importance but no concrete action proposed

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)