Upset as area 'left to rot' due to funding omission

Nicola Jenkins says Bretton should have received some of the government money

A member of Peterborough City Council has claimed her ward is being neglected by the government after it did not receive a share of a new community regeneration fund.

Nicola Jenkins, who represents Bretton as an independent councillor, said the area was left out despite being "in desperate need of regeneration".

Last week, the Labour government announced up to £5bn of investment for 339 "overlooked" communities across the UK to spend on boosting high streets, parks and public spaces.

Ministers said £40m had been allocated to other parts of Peterborough, based on the Index of Multiple Deprivation and Community Needs Index.

Nicola Jenkins, an independent councillor for Bretton, has accused the government of treating the area unfairly

Jenkins, who resigned from Labour in August, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service she was "furious" Bretton had been excluded.

The councillor said: "We were promised regeneration across Peterborough, but no effort has been made to include my ward."

According to Jenkins, Bretton had been excluded because it did not have space to expand.

"Because we don't have space for flashy new developments, my ward has simply been left to rot," she said.

"I can't even get the dog bins emptied or pavements repaired."

A cracked pavement in Bretton, Peterborough

Andrew Pakes, the Labour MP for Peterborough, pushed back on Jenkins' claims, accusing her of "talking the city down".

He said: "We should be celebrating success. We need to break this negative cycle and start working together."

Pakes called the £40m allocated to two other areas in the city a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" to transform left behind areas.

"We've also got an extra £1.5m for other parts of the city. This is just the start," he added.

Andrew Pakes MP has accused Nicola Jenkins of talking Peterborough down

Which places in Peterborough are getting extra money?

Two parts of Peterborough are due to receive £2m each year for the next decade - the Paston, Gunthorpe and Welland area, and Orton Malborne and Goldhay on the edge of the city.

Sir Keir Starmer said it represented a "huge investment", but the Conservatives said the funding would be "dwarfed" by tax rises.

The locations were selected based on a ranking of neighbourhoods, using the Index of Multiple Deprivation and Community Needs Index.

The money includes spending announced earlier this year, which saw £1.5bn pledged to 75 of the most deprived areas in the UK.