Guidance

Pride in Place Programme: FAQ

Published 25 September 2025

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

1. Background

1.1 Pride in Place Programme

In March 2025 we announced the Plan for Neighbourhoods, a £1.5 billion programme providing up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade into 75 places from across the UK. From Grimsby to Elgin, Jarrow to Wrexham, we have listened to the feedback of local stakeholders and applied the learnings from the New Deal for Communities which ran between 1998 and 2010.

We are now building on this via the Pride in Place Programme, expanding this model to almost 250 of the most in-need neighbourhoods across Great Britain. This hyper-local programme will deliver up to £20 million of funding over the next decade into areas that are ‘doubly disadvantaged’ by both the highest deprivation levels and weakest social infrastructure, focussed on neighbourhoods of circa 10,000 population. At the 2025 Spending Review, we announced that we were investing into the most deprived communities across the country. The Pride in Place Programme will bring the Plan for Neighbourhoods programme, Trailblazers and the expansion under the overarching Pride in Place Strategy, representing a significant step in the Government’s regeneration agenda.

The expanded programme continues to embed flexibility, long-termism and bringing local people into the decisions that shape their neighbourhood. But we have also taken the learnings to develop the model further and strengthen our approach. The additional places focus on smaller geographies, targeting hyper-local pockets of deprivation which have too often fallen through the cracks of national interventions. We are also going further to put community involvement at the heart of the programme and will be working with neighbourhoods to understand the best ways to engage citizens and root each plan in communities.

Taken together, the Pride in Place Programme represents one of the largest investments in deprived neighbourhoods for a generation - up to £5 billion over 10 years to support up to 250 places. The expansion will continue to put decision-making power in the hands of local people, so those most affected call the shots; it offers the flexibility to respond to local needs and opportunities, supported by an extensive list of pre-approved interventions that set out how places can make best use of this funding, though with the ability to choose others; and provides long-term funding so communities can put plans together that can genuinely rebuild and transform their neighbourhoods.

1.2 Fund objectives

The Pride in Place Programme relies on the power of local people and partnerships, bringing together residents, the local MP, councils, businesses and community organisations to produce a clear vision for their area. The Neighbourhood Board is responsible for producing the 10 year vision for a place, supported by interventions which are set out in the Regeneration Plan, to achieve the strategic objectives of the programme.

Neighbourhoods will decide how to prioritise funding, based on extensive community engagement, across three core objectives:

To build stronger communities – All places should have strong relationships and a collective sense of belonging to their community. This helps bring people together to build community cohesion and resilience, helping people to feel proud of their area and safe in their neighbourhood.

To create thriving places – Every part of the UK deserves to have vibrant neighbourhoods and communities with busy high streets, a good range of local amenities and high-quality physical infrastructure.

To empower people to take back control – Talent is spread equally but opportunity is not. Everybody should be empowered and in control of their lives and have a say over the future of their community.

2. Funding design

2.1 Places and selection

How have these places been selected?

The new places across Great Britain have been selected to receive funding through the Pride in Place Programme, building on the existing 75 areas. New areas have been selected using a robust metrics-based methodology, using Indices of Multiple Deprivation and the Community Needs Index.

The full list of places and the details of our selection methodology is published in the Pride in Place Programme place selection methodology note.   

For Northern Ireland, corresponding funding will be made available. MHCLG and the Northern Ireland Office will work in partnership with the NI Executive to determine the appropriate delivery approach. Further detail, including how we will support Belfast, will follow in due course.

2.2 Funding profile

How much funding will neighbourhoods receive?

The Government has confirmed neighbourhoods will receive up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade. This will be endowment-style funding, including circa 37% revenue to support managing and delivering investment projects. 

Further information and funding profiles will be set out in due course.

Can funding from the programme be used in conjunction with other funds?

Yes, should Neighbourhood Boards consider it appropriate, they may wish to utilise funding from the Pride in Place Programme alongside other government funding.

We also encourage Boards to consider how the interventions they are seeking to pursue through their Regeneration Plans complement other government funding in the locality. Central government will work across departments to ensure this funding is a catalyst for these communities to have a say in the services delivered locally and we will work with external partners – including philanthropy, social investors and socially-minded businesses – to crowd-in extra funding and activity.

What kind of interventions can the funding be used for?

The Pride in Place Programme represents a break from the competitive bidding process and micromanaging of previous regeneration funds. The model will build on the approach taken in existing Pride in Place areas, giving areas a list of pre-approved interventions and the autonomy such that, if that activity can be evidenced as a clear priority of the community, it can be pursued without the need to provide a lengthy business case.

The list will not be exhaustive, and we encourage Neighbourhood Boards to think innovatively and creatively about how to deliver the strategic objectives of the programme. Where activities fall outside the scope of the pre-approved interventions but the board, based on their community engagement, believes they are better placed to meet local needs, the board should seek to pursue these. This would require a business case to be agreed with MHCLG.

We want to give boards and communities the tools and information they need to make informed decisions, empowering local people to have ownership over the future of their neighbourhood and local area. This is not about micromanaging, this is real devolution – the transfer of power and investment to where it belongs.

2.3 Funding timelines

	Phase 1 – First 75 areas	Phase 2
November 2025	Neighbourhood Boards submit their Regeneration Plan to MHCLG for assessment and approval by midday 28 November
Winter 2025/26		Neighbourhood Boards and local authorities receive a tailored data pack detailing metrics across the 3 strategic objectives, and polling on local sentiment around investment priorities for their area
Spring 2026	MHCLG issues 2026 to 2027 capacity funding payment to all places. First programme delivery funding payment to be made to lead local authorities, commencement of delivery phase	MHCLG issues 2026 to 2027 capacity and capital funding payment to all places
Summer 2026		Neighbourhood Boards to confirm finalised membership and any proposals to alter the ‘default’ area boundary to MHCLG by 17 July 2026
Autumn 2026		MHCLG to review membership and boundary proposals and confirm to places whether acceptable
Winter 2026/27		Neighbourhood Boards submit their Regeneration Plan to MHCLG for assessment and approval
Spring 2027		MHCLG approve regeneration plans First substantive delivery funding payment to be made to local authorities, commencement of delivery phase

2.4 Boundaries

What is meant by neighbourhood – are there set geographical boundaries or is this for Board to agree?

Funding allocated to each neighbourhood should be spent for the benefit of the local community within the agreed geographic area. Interventions will not be limited to within this boundary and can span to key local assets such as the high street or local green spaces, but the concentration of expenditure and activity must deliver on local people’s priorities across the 3 strategic objectives of the programme. The objectives are:

• building thriving places
• strengthening communities
• empowering people to take back control

The default geographic boundary for each place is determined as follows:

In England, neighbourhoods are defined as Middle Layer Super Output Areas (MSOAs). These are ONS census geographies with a resident population of between 5,000 and 15,000 people.

In Scotland and Wales, funding has been announced for selected local authorities. Specific neighbourhoods within these local authorities will be selected at a later stage.

For Northern Ireland, corresponding funding will be made available. MHCLG and the Northern Ireland Office will work in partnership with the NI Executive to determine the appropriate delivery approach. Further detail, including how we will support Belfast, will follow in due course.

Can changes be made to these boundaries?

There will be some flexibility offered to areas to alter their default boundary, within set parameters. Further details of this will be provided within the updated programme prospectus.

Can funding be spent outside of the boundaries?

The exact location of planned interventions, and where money can be spent should be decided by the Neighbourhood board. In some circumstances a board may determine that interventions may extend beyond the geographic boundary for the programme, so long as it benefits and reflects the preferences of the resident population.

As a guide, the key considerations are whether interventions:

• remain within the spirit of the programme
• have the agreement of the board and a clear rationale
• benefit the residents of the neighbourhood originally selected
• involve a key community asset used by residents of the original neighbourhood

As an example, the community may prioritise improving the high street in the local town centre even if this sits outside the named neighbourhood, or they might want to improve an asset or green space just outside the boundaries provided. Either of these would be permissible.

3. Neighbourhood Boards

Neighbourhood Boards should put local people at the centre of defining their town’s future, with responsibility for developing their Regeneration Plan – in partnership with the local authority - to deliver the strategic objectives of the programme. They should bring together residents, local businesses, grassroots campaigners, workplace representatives, faith, the local MP and community leaders and those with a deep connection to their area. Involving their community, the board should generate a vision for the future of their area and set out a pathway to deliver that over the course of the 10-year programme (and beyond), considering opportunities to attract and combine new and existing private, public, and philanthropic funding streams.

Each Neighbourhood Board will be led by an independent chair, appointed by the local authority following consultation with the local MP. The chair should act as a champion for the place and provide leadership for the board, ensuring it is community-led and embedded within the local area.

Neighbourhood Boards must include the relevant local MP and at least one ward councillor.  

Further guidance on Neighbourhood Board governance will be shared shortly.

What does this mean for local authorities with an existing Plan for Neighbourhoods board, or Town Plan board?

In some local authorities there may be an existing Neighbourhood Board from the first phase of the Plan for Neighbourhoods Programme (announced March 2025), or a similar Town Plan Board.

Each Pride in Place Programme area, whether announced in the first or second phase, should have a dedicated structure or forum to influence decisions which is focused solely on that area. Each focused forum should therefore have a dedicated membership, tailored to and including residents from, the given neighbourhood.

There will be local discretion permitted over how exactly these structures fit together.

Decisions on board membership should be taken locally, however we anticipate that, given the smaller population size of areas within the expanded programme, the board may be smaller than those established in the existing 75 places.

Further guidance will be provided shortly.

Can the membership change over time?

While boards can design their own process to update the membership, in collaboration with the local authority, we suggest that the most appropriate time to refresh board membership may be at the end of the first 4-year investment period cycle. Any updates must be communicated to MHCLG, and the appropriate conflict of interests checks completed.

4. Additional policy Q&A

4.1 Crossover with the existing Plan for Neighbourhoods 

What does this mean for the 75 existing Plan for Neighbourhood areas?

On 4 March 2025, the UK Government announced the Plan for Neighbourhoods, a £1.5 billion programme to deliver up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade into 75 communities across the UK. These 75 areas will now be incorporated into the Pride in Place Programme, representing the first phase of the programme. This includes Coleraine and Derry~Londonderry in Northern Ireland.

Local authorities, and Boards already established under the Plan for Neighbourhoods should continue to work on their regeneration plans, as well as any work on engagement and preparation for delivery of the programme, as set out in Plan for Neighbourhoods: Regeneration Plan Guidance on 9 June 2025.

4.2 Trailblazer areas

What does this mean for the 25 Trailblazers announced at Spending Review?

At Spending Review the Government announced 25 trailblazer neighbourhoods to each receive up to £20 million over the next decade. In England, the trailblazers will form part of the Pride in Place Programme.

As announced, MHCLG will maintain a close relationship with trailblazer areas to share early insights and feedback as we move into the initial stages of the programme. A dedicated Communities Delivery Unit will continue to foster opportunities for collaboration and input.

Further details on our approach in Scotland and Wales will follow. Further details for Northern Ireland will follow, including support for Belfast.

4.3 Communities Delivery Unit

What is the Communities Delivery Unit? What support can neighbourhoods expect?

We have established a dedicated Communities Delivery Unit to support the Pride in Place Programme and provide a door into government. 

The Delivery Unit will engage with each area in advance of funding to support set up. This will include a broad support offer tailored to the needs of places, including access to place specific data and guidance to build sustainable local leadership.