§ Geraldine SmithTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much funding was granted by the North West Regional Development Agency in each year since 1997 for regeneration of Morecambe's sea front; and what sums have been allocated by the Agency for future years. [138724]
§ Keith HillA £4.3 million programme for the regeneration of Morecambe was approved in 1994 under the Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) Round 1 scheme "Turning the Tide". Prior to the creation of North West Development Agency (NWDA) in April 1999, this was administered by Government Office for the North West (GO-NW).
The programme was delegated to Lancaster City Council, as Accountable Body, and a Partnership Board which then appraised and approved a number of projects within that delegation limit. Some of those projects provided for the regeneration of the seafront, although the exact amount of funding for that particular activity is not known. The SRB scheme completed in 2002 and was fully spent.
Since it took over responsibility for SRB in 1999, NWDA has allocated over £ I million to Morecambe, including a contribution of £44,000 towards a Morecambe Resort Action Plan study.
Tabled are the breakdowns in the investment since 1997, which includes an additional £482,000 from English Partnerships in 1998–99.
Investment £Thousand 1997–98 1,340 1998–99 955 1999–2000 448 2000–01 350 2001–02 205 2002–03 72 NWDA is currently working with Urban Splash and Lancaster City Council on proposals to repair, refurbish and re-develop the Midland Hotel and its environs. This could lead to substantial new NWDA investment in future years.