Levelling Up plan to spread opportunity and prosperity throughout the country
Posted on in Business News, Cycles News, Political News
The 
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has published its Levelling Up White Paper, setting out the government's plans to spread opportunity and prosperity throughout the country.
The White Paper details twelve ‘key missions' to be achieved by 2030. These include:
- Every part of England that wants one will have a devolution deal.
- Reducing serious violence and neighbourhood crime particularly within the worst-affected areas.
- Raising pride in place, including people's satisfaction with their town centre and community engagement.
- Improving pay, employment and productivity across the UK.
- Raising skills in the labour market, including 80,000 more people completing entry-level courses, guided by new Local Skills Improvement Plans.
- Rolling out nationwide gigabit-capable broadband and 4G coverage, with 5G coverage for the majority of the population.
- Improving wellbeing across the country and reducing gaps within regions.
The missions will be set in law by a forthcoming Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, which will also require the government to publish annual progress reports to be scrutinised in part by a new Levelling Up Advisory Council. The Bill is expected to be announced at the next Queen's Speech in May.
The White Paper itself includes underlying policy plans to:
- Implement the £96bn Integrated Rail Plan, improving the rail network in the North and Midlands, and invest £24bn in our busiest roads and motorways, £5.7bn in City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements and £5bn for buses, cycling and walking networks.
- Announce 68 more local authorities to be supported by the High Streets Task Force to invest in their town centres.
- Require landlords of empty shops to fill them if they have been left vacant for too long.
- Introduce an In-Work Progression Offer to help people on low incomes address barriers to better employment opportunities, building on the National Disability Strategy.
- Publish a second report on rural proofing in the Spring to ensure rural circumstances are considered during policy development.
- £50m annually through the Safer Streets Fund to tackle anti-social behaviour.
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