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Written question asked by Mark Pritchard (Conservative) on Friday, 20 February 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 24 February 2026. It was answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh (Labour) on Tuesday, 3 March 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.


Regeneration: Market Towns

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward regeneration funding for rural market towns.

Answer

In September 2025 we announced the Local Regeneration Fund, which brings together the Levelling Up Fund, Towns Deals and Pathfinder Pilots into a single, flexible capital pot, responding to Local Authority feedback for less bureaucratic oversight and more local autonomy.

This partnership approach empowers local authorities to allocate resources based on their own priorities, which will help rural councils. Decisions on how to manage these allocations rest with each authority’s Section 151 Officer or equivalent. In the small number of cases where projects are no longer viable, we expect projects to rescope their plans and use the funding for other initiatives in the same area that originally stood to benefit.

Earlier this month, the Prime Minister confirmed that 40 further places will join the Pride in Place Programme. That means that nearly 300 communities will benefit from this transformational programme. Funding for the Pride in Place programme is going to communities with the greatest need: places that have been overlooked and stand to benefit most, including market towns.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
113494
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Finance Rural areas Regeneration Market towns
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk