A bid to bring £20 million of investment to Eccles Shopping centre has been refused by a government scheme.
The application for funding came after Salford City Council completed the acquisition of the shopping centre in early 2023 for £4.15million.
The Levelling Up Fund (LUF) then denied the project the £20million in funding requested.
Rebecca Long-Bailey, Labour MP for Salford and Eccles, voiced her disapproval in a tweet highlighting the untimely allocation of £19million to Richmond, Yorkshire, Rishi Sunak’s constituency.
She tweeted: “Not a penny from the levelling up fund today for urgent projects in Salford and Eccles. The PM’s constituency, Richmond, got £19million…go figure….”
Paul Dennett, Salford City Mayor, said of the purchase: “It’s time to accept some hard truths, that the centre as it stands now isn’t working for the town nor the community. So, it’s now time to show Eccles the love and support it badly needs.”
Upon being asked what the funding would bring to the area, one resident, Leanne Wilson, who works in Eccles said: “Quite a lot really, a lot more to the retail shops and to the economy. The local people need this boost of morale.”
This sentiment was echoed on LBC as Michael Gove was grilled on funding going to an already fairly well off area.
Mr Gove claimed that the funding is going to the nearby Catterick Infantry Base to make sure that “the neighbourhoods in which service families live is invested in appropriately.”
He added: “We need to do more to improve the way in which our service families are looked after.
“Putting armed forces families first is a good thing.”
A comprehensive list of authorities to receive funding can be found here.
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