Dundee West MP Chris Law has welcomed the success of a bid for funding towards a sustainable transport hub, amid warnings that the UK Government’s flagship Levelling Up Fund is failing to deliver upon promises to match lost investment which resulted from the UK’s exit from the European Union.
The UK Government have announced that Dundee City Council’s bid for £14 million from their flagship UK Shared Prosperity Fund was successful in the second round of bids. Dundee’s bid will see funding provided for the redeveloping of the dated Bell Street multi-storey car park into a sustainable transport hub, along with additional work to create a network of pedestrian and cycle routes.
The second round of the Levelling Up Funding will see £2.6 billion shared by local communities across the UK between 2022 and 2025, with £212 million confirmed for projects in Scotland.
Scottish Government figures suggest that Scotland is missing out on more than £300 million in European Union funding, which would have equalled £549 million in that same period.
Commenting, Dundee West MP Chris Law said:
“I welcome this news for our city of Dundee, which will help modernise part of our city centre and further integrate sustainable transport options as we look towards a greener future.
“Dundee has a growing reputation nationally and globally as a hub for innovative ideas on sustainability and green technology, and this development will go a long way to cementing that status.
“Sadly, this funding still represents a massive drop when compared to what was previously available before Brexit. The UK Government may claim that Brexit is working for our local communities, but when you compare the figures, they simply don’t add up.
“With the cost-of-living crisis biting and inflation still high, our communities need investment like this now more than ever. Matching the lost investment from the EU should be the first step in providing this support.”
Chris Law 