Rossendale is set to benefit from a £20 million government-backed regeneration scheme, with decisions on spending priorities now firmly in the hands of a local board rather than Whitehall. The Pride in Place scheme, which covers Rawtenstall, Waterfoot, and Crawshawbooth, marks a significant shift in how regeneration funding is allocated and delivered.
Local control over spending
The key difference from previous funding rounds is that a local board, made up of community representatives, will decide spending priorities. This approach, according to local MP [Name], represents a proper break from how such schemes have usually been run. "Pride in Place is being delivered with us rather than to us," the MP said, emphasising the community-led nature of the initiative.
The board's ten-year regeneration plan was approved by the government in March, following more than two years of engagement with residents, businesses, and community groups. Funding began to be drawn down from April, and delivery is now underway.
What the funding will deliver
The plan includes a range of projects aimed at revitalising the area. Public realm improvements are planned for Waterfoot, along with the development of key buildings such as Trickett's Arcade in Waterfoot and the Heritage Arcade on Bacup Road. Better bike tracks and footpaths are also on the agenda, as well as a creative skills mentoring programme and a new enterprise scheme for young people looking to start their own businesses locally.
These developments are designed to create jobs and opportunities, with a focus on retaining young talent in the valley. The MP noted that Rossendale has genuine strengths in engineering, textiles, food production, and advanced materials, and the scheme aims to build on these foundations.
Addressing frustrations in other towns
The MP acknowledged that residents in Bacup, Haslingden, and Whitworth might feel frustration at not being included in the initial list of places. However, they pointed to progress on the redevelopment of Bacup Market and the refurbishment of Haslingden Market, as well as the demolition of the old bingo hall, as positive steps. The MP is advocating for renewed investment across the whole valley to ensure jobs and opportunities are spread more evenly.
To push this agenda, the MP recently brought together Labour MPs from across the country to form the Reindustrialisation Research Group. The group represents a mix of small towns, big towns, cities, coastal areas, and rural constituencies, and has set the new Prime Minister a deliberately simple target: a million more jobs in production over the next decade.
A measurable target for renewal
The choice of a number rather than a slogan is intentional. "Warm words about renewal have been offered to towns like ours before and they cost nothing," the MP said. "A target can be measured, it can be missed, and that means it can be held to." The group aims to back local businesses with skills, premises, and transport to increase manufacturing output in the valley.
This focus on reindustrialisation comes as Rossendale remains the only borough in the North of England without a commuter rail service, despite being just fifteen miles from one of the country's largest job markets. The proposed City Valley Rail Link would address this, using existing infrastructure and easing pressure on the M66 and valley roads. However, it was left out of the Lancashire Combined Authority's transport implementation plan earlier this year, a decision the MP finds difficult to understand.
Campaign for rail link continues
The Prime Minister backed better links between Rossendale and Greater Manchester when he was Mayor, and the MP intends to press the issue again now he is in Downing Street. A petition for the rail link is available on the MP's website, and every signature helps demonstrate public support. "Towns like ours are only asking for the same things that anywhere else needs to prosper: to be connected to the rest of the country, to be taken seriously, and to be given our fair share and then left to get on with it," the MP said.
Residents with specific issues are encouraged to contact the MP's office for assistance, with details available on the website.
