Yasmin Qureshi MP stands up for Bolton residents and presses Levelling Up Minister on the Government’s failures to support the redevelopment of Bolton’s high street

Yasmin Qureshi MP stands up for Bolton residents and presses Levelling-Up Minister on the Government’s failures to support the redevelopment of Bolton’s high street

The Member of Parliament for Bolton South East, Yasmin Qureshi MP, today pressed the Levelling-Up Minister Dehenna Davison MP on the inequity of the Levelling-Up Fund and the future of Bolton’s high street.  Ms. Qureshi applied for a debate on the future of Bolton’s high street after the Government’s decision to reject both of Bolton Council’s bids to the second round of the Levelling-Up Fund.

In her speech, Ms. Qureshi also pushed the Minister on “what exactly levelling-up means in her view” and “to her wider government’s agenda,” going on to question why “Bolton was not eligible for the bid” to redevelop the high street, despite high indices of multiple deprivation, cuts to local government of around £225 million, and unemployment statistics which are double the regional and national averages.

Bolton South East’s MP also touched on the role the night-time and cultural economy plays in regeneration, revealing that she is working with Greater Manchester Combined Authority night-time advisor Sacha Lord, founder of Warehouse Project and Parklife, to build a “best practice” model in Bolton, ensuring safety when socialising, but also making nightlife in Bolton an attractive option which plays into wider regeneration plans.

Ms. Qureshi also pressed the Minister on the role of brownfield, former industrial sites and the role they can play in the “levelling-up” agenda.  She argued that there are “large former mills that stand empty and unused,” which “pose the best opportunity to create mixed use properties – homes for young families, a place for businesses to start and grow, and urban parks to create social spaces in a limited area.”

In response to Ms. Qureshi’s concerns and questioning, the Minister responding, Dehenna Davison MP, claimed that she was “unable to comment” on “specific” applications made to the Department for Levelling-Up, Housing, and Communities, adding that the formula was based on “relative need,” with locations that are impacted by “underdevelopment.”  Minister Davison added that Bolton town centre was facing “significant challenges,” agreeing with Ms. Qureshi about the impact of the loss of anchor stores on the high street.

Speaking after her speech, Yasmin Qureshi MP said:

“The Government were elected on a manifesto commitment to level up regions and towns like Bolton, yet the longer time goes on, the more we see it was purely a soundbite with no real substance.

“High streets have of course faced pressures with the rise of the internet and online retailers, but with an active state, which supports businesses, we can have a flourishing high street and commercial centre.”

“Yet Bolton’s high street is on life support and we see no real ambition from a Government content with standing by as our town suffers.  The next Labour Government will support high street businesses with a remodelled taxation system and real investment.”

Sacha Lord, the Night Time Economy Adviser for Greater Manchester, said, 

“I echo Yasmin’s words that the night time economy plays a critical role in the ecosystem of local economies, and the sector must be in receipt of investment and planning in order to provide safe, enjoyable nights out for all.

I am also pleased that the important issue of the need to introduce a best practice model of nightlife has been raised in Westminster.  Yasmin and her constituency of Bolton South East have worked tirelessly to introduce Safety Haven measures to create a safe, nightlife strategy for the borough and I look forward to seeing this come to fruition in the months ahead.”

Notes to Editors:

 

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