Chancellor's pledge of vital cash for region

AFTER two years of closure and public disquiet, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced yesterday that the government intends to support the re-opening of Southport Pier.

- By ELLIOT JESSETT ECHO Correspondent

Addressing the House of Commons, Ms Reeves said: "I know the pride that people feel in their communities. I see it everywhere I go, but I also know that for too many people, there is a sense that something has been lost.

"As high streets have declined, as community spaces have closed, as jobs and opportunities have gone elsewhere, the renewal of Britain must be felt everywhere."

She added: "Job creation and community assets are vital to our growth mission but, too often, regeneration projects are held back, gathering dust in bureaucratic limbo. We are changing that.

"We will establish a growth mission fund to expedite local projects that are important for growth projects, projects like Southport Pier, an iconic symbol of coastal heritage, which has stood empty since 2022... where investment would create jobs and new business opportunities.

"People deserve a government which shares their ambition for their communities, to deliver renewal, to deliver growth, to deliver opportunity and that is what you get with a Labour government."