The so-called Green Book – which guides the decision on whether the funding offer is worth the money – will be updated so that the “forgotten” places become “better to make investments”
Reforms to the way the Government provides funding for local projects will be announced in the Budget as part of a wider drive to shift decision-making power away from Westminster, says Andy Burnham.
The so-called Green Book – which guides decisions on whether the offer for funding is worth the money – will be updated in the bid to allow the place “forgotten” to be “more possible to make a case for investment”, in Finance said.
The Prime Minister said communities had been “put on hold for years by incoherent rules that don’t yet know what is needed to unlock their potential”.
Under the new arrangement, the Government will evaluate various projects in the same area collectively, to get a “more complete picture” of how they are working to overcome challenges such as labor shortages or skills shortages, officials confirmed.
Under the current framework, separate proposals – such as housing developments or transport initiatives – are evaluated independently, something the Treasury says could result in certain cases being “undervalued”.
Mr Burnham held a meeting with regional mayors at the No 10 North base in Manchester on Thursday to discuss the improvements, which will be formally outlined in Chancellor John Healey’s Budget next week.
He said: “Society has suffered for years because of outdated rules that don’t see what it takes to unlock potential.
“That’s why we’re changing the system to put local priorities at the heart of decision-making.
“This is what No10 North is all about. Rebalancing power away from Westminster. Backing local leaders. And making sure the government is organized to deliver what the community really needs to feel the difference.”
Officials indicated that Mr Healey will also use the Budget to outline the next phase of the government’s move to transfer greater powers to local leaders, including a blueprint for fiscal devolution that will give control over how the national tax share is distributed.
The chancellor said: “This government wants to bring back space with ambition and ideas for growth and ensure that good opportunities for investment are not overlooked simply because the system does not see the bigger picture.
“These changes give area leaders a stronger voice where investments can make the biggest difference in communities.
“And in next week’s Budget, I will set out plans to move power and other resources out of Westminster and into postcodes across the country.”