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Minister picks priority places

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT News Release (196) issued by The Government News Network on 25 October 2007

Junior Minister for Housing Iain Wright today announced five priority places - the Thames Gateway, the South West region, Corby, Portsmouth Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) and ELEVATE East Lancashire - to work with the Government in creating the places we all want to live and work.

These areas have been identified as part of the Living Places Partnership, a joint initiative between Communities and Local Government and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, along with five key cultural agencies. This joint work aims to ensure that all communities, in particular those experiencing economic growth, benefit from cultural facilities such as museums, libraries, art and sport as well as making better use of cultural heritage.

Priority places are a key part of the Government's growth plans and are spread throughout the country - from the Thames Gateway to the South West and Lancashire. They each face different challenges, but all are committed to providing new housing, supported by the infrastructure, to create quality places that people are proud of.

Iain Wright said:

"We want to know what people want from their communities and how best to create the places where we all want to live, work and invest. By working together at central, regional and national level, we can learn valuable lessons on how to build communities. Priority places are a vital part of this process and I am delighted that areas across the country will be helping us take this forward."

Notes to Editors

1. Iain Wright was speaking at the Sustainable Communities Summit 2007 - The Challenge of National Regeneration: Securing our Future, which took place on 25 October at Church House in London. The event was held in association with BURA - the British Urban Renaissance Association. Further information can be found here: http://www.tenalpsevents.com/sustainablecommunities2007

2. In the Housing Green Paper published in July, the Government set out its commitment to build 3 million new homes by 2020, creating new jobs, green spaces and improving infrastructure across the country. Further information can be found here:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/homesforfuture

3. Further information on the Living Places Partnership will be published by the Department shortly.

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