THE Levelling-Up Fund, launched last year, has been designed to provide funding to the most deprived areas of the country.

A successful bid for Leigh must include a boost to productivity, improve opportunities for everyone and restore the sense of community. The £20million has to be spent on capital improvements rather than providing services and it needs to be spent on projects that are ready to be delivered right now.

Leigh has suffered from a lack of inward investment over the last few decades and that is why I am extremely pleased our government is facilitating this boost to our local economy. Whilst Leigh town centre is still a popular destination locally, there is a huge opportunity for sustainable growth in our town.

Leigh’s decline started when the industries left. Once Leigh was the epicentre of cotton and coal industries, creating large wealth for the Victorian and Edwardian forefathers, which we can still see today from the magnificent buildings they left behind. However as the 20th Century progressed and more modern techniques in production were introduced, the industries left Leigh. This left extremely low levels of employment opportunities in the area and Leigh naturally reinvented itself as a commuter town on the edges of Manchester and Liverpool.

Last year, Wigan Council’s locally elected members put forward a multi storey car park as the best option for Leigh. This was something that I could not support.

For our town to prosper we need a systematic change to ensure the town has a vibrant and successful future. Leigh has suffered decades of apathy and mis-management of funding yet its identity and community spirit remains, a testament to the resilience of the town and its people.

The Levelling-Up Fund is a catalyst to attract more private investment into the town centre. By regaining businesses' confidence in the town centre through meaningful changes this will create a wealth of opportunities and employment as well as creating an attractive town we can all enjoy.

Local businesses have got together and set up a not-for-profit to aid the regeneration of Leigh. Leigh Means Business was set up to enable economic growth in Leigh and assist the regeneration of the town centre. Working towards a vibrant, diverse and sustainable future for Leigh, the CIC works in partnership with volunteers, key partners and the business community to enhance the physical, social and economic environment of Leigh, whilst promoting and preserving the area’s rich heritage and valued ecosystem. Above all, Leigh Means Business aims to foster a sense of inclusivity by representing the full breadth of the Leigh community.

The proposals include re-landscaping the public spaces, creating a more enjoyable public environment and a business, skills and events hub in the town centre. If you would like to see the proposals and to give your own feedback on the plans, you can do so here: https://leigh.town/feedback