Levelling Up Fund (LUF)

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About the Levelling Up Fund (LUF)

The Levelling Up Fund is a UK Government fund. It is one part of the UK Government’s broader offer to level up opportunity across the whole of the UK. Its purpose is especially intended to support investment in places where it can make the biggest difference to everyday life, including ex-industrial areas, deprived towns and coastal communities. Up to £4.8 billion (until 2024-25) will potentially be available for the Fund across the UK, with at least £800 million invested in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Fund will focus on capital investment.

The Levelling Up Fund will invest in local infrastructure that has a visible impact on people and their communities. This includes a range of high value local investment priorities, including local transport schemes, urban regeneration projects and cultural assets. Members of Parliament (MPs) are expected to provide support, where they deem it appropriate. In Wales, applications (bids) for funding are submitted by the local authorities. The number of bids that a local authority can make will relate to the number of MPs in their area. The application process is competitive, meaning that not all local authorities will be successful in gaining the requested funds.

Levelling Up Fund Round 1

The first round of the Levelling Up Fund was announced at the 2020 Spending Review. In October 2021, successful applications, amounting to £1.7bn, were awarded to 105 projects across the UK. As part of round 1, Denbighshire County Council was successful in their joint application with Wrexham County Borough Council for the Clwyd South Constituency. The Levelling Up funding allocated to Denbighshire amounts to £3.8m and will benefit the communities of Llangollen, Llantysilio, Corwen and surrounding areas.

Levelling Up Fund Round 1: Successful project bids

Levelling Up Fund Round 2

The second round of the Levelling Up Fund was announced on 23 March 2022. Denbighshire County Council submitted two separate bids into the second round relating to the constituencies of Clwyd West and the Vale of Clwyd. Through an all-inclusive process, the projects included within the bids were contributed by Members, MPs, Town Councils and Officers across Denbighshire. Eligible projects were deliverable, impactful and fulfilled the LUF criteria. Further engagement with the Council’s Member Area Groups and Senior Leadership led to the finalised bid projects, which were then approved by Cabinet.

On Thursday 19 January, 2023, Denbighshire County Council received confirmation that the application for the Clwyd West constituency had been successful under round 2 of the UK Government Levelling Up Fund. The Levelling Up funding allocated to Denbighshire amounts to £10.95m and will benefit Ruthin and rural communities. Denbighshire County Council was disappointed that the Vale of Clwyd bid was unsuccessful and will now be working with UK Government officials and the MP to gain feedback from the bid assessment process. A review of future funding options will then be undertaken to determine how these important projects can be delivered.

Levelling Up Fund Round 2: Successful project bids

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