Funding boost for England's 'left-behind' urban councils

Some of England's most deprived councils will receive a funding boost under a new three-year local government funding deal that prioritises urban areas with high social needs at the expense of affluent places in the leafy southeast.

- Patrick Butler

Manchester, Birmingham, Luton, Bradford, Coventry, Derby and outer London boroughs such as Haringey and Enfield will receive big spending power increases under what ministers have described as a fairer system that will "restore pride and opportunity in left-behind places".

The housing and communities secretary, Steve Reed, said: "This is a chance to turn the page on a decade of cuts, and for local leaders to invest in getting back what has been lost-to bring back libraries, youth services, clean streets, and community hubs."

The settlement got a lukewarm welcome from some northern and Midlands urban councils, however. They said it was disappointing that "London's suburbs" were the "biggest winners" from the review, "leaving many of the most deprived communities facing further cuts".