Uncertainty over future of Dumbarton's £20m 'Levelling Up' funding

The UK Government has refused to confirm whether it will deliver the cash pledged under the previous Conservative government.

Uncertainty surrounds the future of £20million plans to regenerate Dumbarton after the UK Government refused to give assurances.

Cash-strapped West Dunbartonshire Council applied for Levelling Up Funding in 2021 and was awarded £19.9m to deliver projects that enhance Dumbarton town centre, with more than £10m earmarked for the Artizan Centre.

Labour councillor David McBride previously called for a new Dumbarton Health Centre to be built at the ambitious proposals.

Plans also include the transformation of historic Glencairn House into a museum and improved pedestrian links to Dumbarton Central station.

WDC will put £2.2m towards the project, with the fund introduced by the Conservative Party in 2019, and aimed at reducing geographical inequality - with almost £3bn in funding allocated to Scotland.

Work to demolish the Artizan Centre got underway last month, with teams tearing down large sections of the eyesore precinct.

However, last week, in a letter written to North-east MSP Liam Kerr, Westminster’s Scotland Secretary Ian Murray suggested that previous ministers had “in some cases made promises to communities they knew they could not keep” when asked if the Labour government would commit to continuing to fund the projects.

The new administration has already scrapped the phrase from the department title, replacing it with ‘local government’, whilst a review of projects is believed to be underway.

And West Dunbartonshire MP Douglas McAllister said that “significant announcements” could be expected in the government’s autumn statement - but admitted that “tough decisions will have to be made”.

The Labour member told the Lennox: “I want to see continued investment in our town centre of Dumbarton.

“The spending review process is underway and the Government will make significant announcements in their autumn statement.

“Due to the absolutely dire state the Tories have left the public finances in, tough decisions will have to be made.

“The UK Labour government has inherited a £22 billion in year black hole in the accounts from the previous Tory Government who had spent the Treasury reserves three times over by July this year.

“Their economic incompetence is matched only by the SNP Scottish Government who have created their own £500 million budget black hole. The SNP has no funding to offer to Dumbarton.

“Just 18 months on from crashing the economy with unfunded spending plans the Tories were ready to do it all over again, assisted by the SNP at Westminster who are now voting with the Tories.

“That’s why the Labour Government is taking the tough but necessary decisions to get the books in order after the mess the Tories have made of things.

“Unlike the SNP we won’t make promises we can’t keep.”

The UK Government’s Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government declined to comment, but the Lennox understands that a number of local areas are seeking clarification on funding and that further details on this will be made available later this year by the department.

Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.