Nadia Whittome talks about the government's Pride in Place programme, and how it applies to Nottingham.
For decades, communities across the country have been starved of investment, watching their high streets empty and local amenities fall into disrepair or close down altogether. Cuts to local authorities under consecutive Tory governments, combined with historic deindustrialisation and a growing cost-of-living crisis, have stripped our neighbourhoods of their local pride, and a lack of investment since has left many struggling to regain it. That’s why the government launched the Pride in Place programme last year, which will inject up to £5.8 billion in funding over the next ten years across 284 areas throughout the UK.
In Nottingham, the government has selected three areas for the programme: St Ann’s East, Broxtowe/Cinderhill and Clifton, which is fantastic news for our city, as long-term funding in these areas will make a real difference to local residents’ lives.
In each of the selected areas, a Neighbourhood Board, led by a Chair and supported by the local authority and the constituency MP, has been tasked with acting as the main decision-making and oversight body for the local £19.6 million investment spread out over ten years. But crucially, it is local residents who lead on how the money gets spent based on what matters most to their communities, whether it’s improvements to their high streets, playgrounds and green spaces or investments in existing or new local projects. That's why, if you live in any of these areas, it's important to get involved, and I would highly encourage you to keep an eye out for future outreach opportunities and events.
As I represent St Ann’s East, I would ask residents to engage with the programme by filling out a survey that helps inform the focus of the Neighbourhood Board. We want to know how you would spend the money, what changes you would suggest, and what would be your priorities for the area.
As well as the survey, you can share your thoughts by speaking to someone at one of the appointed community anchor organisations, which are Stonebridge City Farm, Hope Hut, St Ann’s Advice Centre and Renewal Trust, and have your thoughts fed back to the Neighbourhood Board. You will also soon be able to access more information about the programme through an official website that is currently in the works, and keep an eye out for news about events in October.
St Ann’s has a rich history that deserves celebration. The area’s name comes from a medieval well, once thought to contain water so cold it had healing properties. St Ann’s was developed into a residential area during the 19th century, when homes were built for the working people of Nottingham employed by our lace and textile manufacturing industries. These old Victorian houses were knocked down during a post-war slum clearance project to make way for social housing, which are the buildings we recognise today.
Pride in Place is one of the Labour government’s efforts to correct this terrible track record of top-down politics by putting real decision-making power back in the hands of the people who know what their areas need the most
Sadly, as the homes were being rebuilt, the industries that had sustained St Ann’s for generations went into decline, hollowing out the jobs residents had long relied on. Nevertheless, the area’s strong community spirit endured through these difficult decades, and to this day, there are many remarkable individuals and groups doing vital work for the community in challenging economic circumstances. It is long overdue that this spirit is matched by the government funding and support that St Ann’s has long been denied.
Community engagement is key to Pride in Place's success because, for too long, entire communities have had decisions that affect their day-to-day lives made without them. Pride in Place is one of the Labour government’s efforts to correct this terrible track record of top-down politics by putting real decision-making power back in the hands of the people who know what their areas need the most.
At a time when trust in the government has reached historic lows, with nearly half of the UK population saying they would ‘never trust’ the government as of 2024, we need to rebuild that trust from the ground up, starting in the places that need it most. Winning back this trust is central to Labour’s mission, not only because trust paves the way to more participative and democratic politics, but also because it counters the corrosive, false narrative that blames minorities and migrants for neighbourhood decline, rather than the widely documented political neglect and disinvestment actually responsible.
The Pride in Place programme is our chance to harness the passion and care people of St Ann’s East already have for their community, and to build something that lasts. I look forward to hearing from you and working closely with the Neighbourhood Board to ensure this funding delivers tangible change for St Ann’s East.
To take part in the survey head to bit.ly/Prideinplace
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