The government has unveiled plans to allocate the first slice of the £500m market renewal pathfinder money and has called on those outside the programme to begin tackling low demand.
At a Local Government Association event in Salford yesterday Tony McNulty, junior minister for housing, was expected to say: "We expect three [pathfinders] to complete schemes this year, with the remainder aiming to complete their schemes to begin action in the early part of next year." The three expected to complete their action plans this year are Manchester/Salford, Merseyside and Newcastle/Gateshead. They are to be allowed access to whatever funding they feel they need to deliver.

The Communities Plan outlined an initial split of the £500m renewal funding over the next three years: £60m this year, £150m next year and £290m in the third year. Of this year's £60m, the six pathfinders not expected to complete their action plans this year will have access to up to £4m each to keep their programmes moving, leaving £36m for the other three.

But a spokeswoman for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister told Housing Today: "The £60m is flexible."

McNulty was also expected to tell delegates at yesterday's event: "I don't accept the argument that because you have not received specific pathfinder cash, you can't begin to tackle the problem."

Source

Housing Today