The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has announced that Scotland’s very first Levelling Up Partnership has been selected.
Having chosen Dundee as the first place to benefit from a major programme of tailored regeneration, the partnership will see £20 million being used to reduce inequalities in Dundee, with this being achieved by the attraction of investment and improving opportunities for local people.
Jacob Young, Levelling Up Minister, said:
“It’s fantastic to announce our tailored regeneration programme has been rolled out in Scotland for the first time, beginning by transforming the lives of people right across Dundee.
“This Levelling Up Partnership will allow us to tackle the historical issues faced by this city head-on, ensuring overlooked communities get what they need to fully reach their potential.”
Some of the measures that will come as part of the partnership include:
- £5 million of support for Dundee and Angus College, including to build a new campus for digital, green and energy transition skills development
- £3 million for the creation of new office spaces
- £2.5 million to support the development of opportunities for young people
- More than £2 million to improve housing access and boost city centre regeneration
- £2 million to develop a specials protein science centre in the Life Sciences Innovation District
- £1.2 million to build a permanent home for the Dundee Museum of Transport
- £1.1 million to develop a legal tech education centre
- £500,000 to complete an active travel route around the city
Dundee City Council is also benefitting from more than £14 million of investment from the Levelling Up Fund, as it looks to develop a new green transport hub that features EV charge points. Leader of Dundee City Council, Cllr John Alexander, added:
“As a city, we’ve been working extensively in the background to attract and deliver investment, public and private, and to create jobs and economic growth.
“With Dundee already featuring in positive ratings, such as a top 20 UK destination for foreign direct investment (FDI), a top city break destination and attracting world-renowned opportunities such as the Eden project, the future is bright.
“We welcome the £20 million of investment through the Levelling Up Partnership, which will strengthen the efforts by all local partners to transform Dundee and the lives of people across our city.
“Although Dundee’s challenges are well known, I believe that the opportunities that exist for the future significantly exceed these.
“Organisations in Dundee are working together to create the conditions that will enable growth and prosperity in the years ahead.
“There is a realisation that we cannot do this alone, and that is why we have been in discussions with both the UK and Scottish Governments for strategic investment to drive Dundee’s economy forward.”
Levelling Up Partnerships were launched in the government’s 2023 Spring Budget, with them offering bespoke programmes to drive regeneration in communities that have been previously ignored. These projects will improve the skills and opportunities on offer around the country, whilst also improve people’s quality of life and addressing any challenges that are embedded in a community. Other areas benefitting from Levelling Up Partnerships include Hull and Mansfield.
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