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The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities this week indicated that the absence of a working Executive was behind the government’s decision not to award Northern Ireland any funding in the latest round of the Levelling Up Fund.
Details relating to Round 3 of the £4.8bn capital programme – which aims to “increase pride in place and bring people closer to opportunity” – were announced on Monday.
NI has previously received around £120m across the two previous rounds of funding.
The Northern Ireland Business Alliance and the Public Sector Chairs’ Forum (PSCF) have since come together to call for the extension of the fund to Northern Ireland.
They said that the lack of funding would have a detrimental impact on both the public and private sectors and wider communities, already facing significant funding shortfalls.
Despite no funding coming here, the department had run a publicity campaign — including an advertisements in the Belfast Telegraph on Wednesday — to promote the Levelling Up initiative in Northern Ireland.
The Business Alliance and PSCF said: “Contrary to the advertising, Levelling Up is no longer here.
“With 55 projects in England, Scotland and Wales awarded a share of nearly £1bn from Round 3 of the government’s flagship Levelling Up Fund, the decision to exclude our local organisations runs contrary to the government’s aim to stabilise and transform public services, grow the economy by levelling up, and provide the foundations for building a better future in communities across the UK.
“It will also further limit Northern Ireland’s ability to respond to the challenge set down by the Secretary of State himself, to deliver value for money, and transformative projects with limited public funds.”
Following questioning by Alliance MP Stephen Farry, Jacob Young, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Levelling Up confirmed that the £30m that would have been spent has been ring fenced for levelling up in northern Ireland.
But UUP peer Lord Rogan yesterday tabled a written question asking more details around the decision to exclude NI.
Lord Rogan said: “I have tabled a written question in the House of Lords asking how much Levelling Up round three funding has been ringfenced to spend in Northern Ireland, when the decision was taken to exclude Northern Ireland from this week’s announcement, and by whom.”
Coleraine Football Club is one of the NI projects which missed out on this round of funding.
Lord Rogan added: “It is scandalously unfair that shovel-ready community projects in Northern Ireland such as the one in Coleraine are facing this unnecessary and seemingly open-ended delay, when scores in Great Britain have been given the green light.
“We need answers but, more importantly, we need spades in the ground.”
The NI Business Alliance and PSCF welcomed news that the funds had been ring fenced, and added: “Our members represent a very wide range of organisations, and we stand ready to work with political leaders to realise the ambitions of levelling up.
“We are therefore disappointed that innovative, impactful projects are excluded from the ability to spread opportunity, create jobs and revitalise local communities across Northern Ireland.”
The comment from the business leaders follows the autumn statement which delivered no extra spending for Northern Ireland as a result of the Executive’s overspend last year.
The Treasury said the devolved administrations were receiving over £1bn in extra funding as a result of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s spending decisions.
But the share of £185m for the NI Executive will not come here, and “will instead be used to repay the £297m Northern Ireland Executive overspend from 2022-23,” the statement said. Details are to be confirmed, it added.
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