South Shore and Claremont need investment now – my case to the PM

This week I took Blackpool’s case to the Prime Minister in a push for investment in our most deprived communities.

Meeting the PM in Parliament this week, I pushed him for urgent investment in South Shore and Claremont, which include some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the country according to the 2025 Indices of Deprivation. Despite facing the biggest challenges across areas including income, health, housing and crime, they have not yet been selected for the government’s Pride in Place programme – a 10-year initiative designed to regenerate disadvantaged neighbourhoods with £20m investments.

“I told the Prime Minister plainly – Blackpool is ready to turn things around but we cannot do it alone.”

I’ve been consistently lobbying for a second Pride in Place allocation for Blackpool focused on South Shore and I used this meeting to press the need for further investment. As part of the discussion, I presented People’s Plans and masterplans for South Shore and Claremont, demonstrating that there is a clear, deliverable vision for regeneration led by both me as the Member of Parliament and the local the community.

With the PM yesterday speaking about South Shore and Claremont’s urgent need for investment

The Prime Minister agreed to explore options with me and committed to discussions with his Downing Street policy team to look at how progress can be made. The meeting follows my recent conversation with the Chancellor where I also made the case for South Shore just days after a major fire on Waterloo Road highlighted the fragility of the area’s high street and the urgency of investment.

It also comes after months of sustained work to get South Shore firmly on the government’s agenda. I’ve brought several senior Cabinet ministers including the Prime Minister to Waterloo Road and Bond Street to see the challenges first-hand. I’ve also secured a commitment from the Communities Minister to visit South Shore and a significant portion of the £1.5 million from the Pride in Place Impact Fund for improvements to South Shore and Claremont.

With the PM and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson on Waterloo Road

I told the Prime Minister plainly – Blackpool is ready to turn things around but we cannot do it alone. We have the plans, the community backing and the determination to deliver real change.

For years we have been overlooked and underfunded. That is not acceptable and it has to change. The Prime Minister agreeing to work with me to explore solutions and involve his Downing Street team is a step forward but it’s just the start of the conversation. I will keep fighting at the very top of government until Blackpool gets the investment, support and fairness it deserves.