Meeting with Chancellor to discuss regeneration plans for South Shore

Yesterday I secured a meeting with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss long-term investment and regeneration in South Shore – one of the most deprived areas in the country – after shining a spotlight on the area in Parliament.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, I highlighted the urgent need for targeted intervention in South Shore, pointing out that it's got the highest concentration of deprived communities and also the most deprived ward in the country.

I told the Chancellor about the recently produced South Shore People’s Plan, which outlines the community’s priorities for regeneration in the area including improving high streets and housing, and asked her to meet me to discuss how we can deliver it.

This meeting will mark a major step in my campaign to bring serious government attention and investment to Waterloo Road, Bond Street and Lytham Road – areas that have suffered long-term neglect, declining retail, poor housing conditions and complex social challenges.

I’ve has already brought some of the most senior figures in Government to South Shore, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, to see first-hand the decline in this once thriving area.

In October, I also secured a commitment from Communities Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh to visit South Shore – a visit that will take place in the coming weeks and will focus on the how immediate improvements to South Shore’s high streets and public spaces can be delivered at pace.

South Shore is already benefiting from regeneration work, with more due imminently via the £1.5m Pride in Place Impact Fund I recently secured. A new council-led Masterplan is providing a coordinated blueprint for redevelopment while the People’s Plan, developed by Empowerment Charity, sets out 47 resident-led actions to improve safety, housing, public spaces, youth provision, employment, retail and cohesion

Residents will have noticed how recent pockets of investment has delivered colourful benches and planters for the area, native planting on verges and roundabouts and deep cleans of pavements and shopfronts, but I’m is pushing for a long-term regeneration package the area which has been excluded from major regeneration schemes in the likes of the town centre.

I’m determined to make sure South Shore is no longer ignored or left behind. This commitment from the Chancellor is another step forward. This area has huge potential and with the right investment, and by working with residents, businesses and Blackpool Council, we can transform it into a vibrant, safe and thriving place once again. I will keep pushing until we get the change our community deserves.