Derby, Huddersfield and Manchester are among the latest growth hotspots awarded Assisted Area status, the Government has confirmed.
According to LG news:
Making businesses eligible to bid for regional financial aid and tax breaks, the status is expected to support local growth and investment in locations including Scunthorpe and Portsmouth.
This latest wave of regions will join large parts of north-east England, south Yorkshire, Merseyside, Strathclyde, the west Midlands and the Welsh Valleys, which have already been added to the Assisted Area map.
‘Assisted Area status can be a shot in the arm for growth and jobs across the UK. It makes local businesses eligible to bid for additional funding and support that can help them to create jobs, invest in new premises or machinery, develop and grow,’ business minister Michael Fallon said.
Coastal towns including Arbroath, Blackpool, Hastings and Lowestoft can now also expect to receive support after being added to the map.
Selections were based on a combination of economic need and opportunity, with particular favour being given to locations harbouring potential manufacturing growth.
Fallon added: ‘We listened carefully to local groups to identify places where regional aid can have the biggest impact and help to rebalance the economy. The regeneration of a range of industrial centres, coastal and urban areas has been given a boost today.’