Three Essex towns promised High Streets cash

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said "too many neighbourhoods have been starved of investment"

Three towns in Essex have been promised a slice of £1.5bn in funding which the Labour government says will "restore pride in neighbourhoods".

Harlow, Canvey Island and Clacton-on-Sea are due to receive up to £20m each from the government's Plan for Neighbourhoods.

The money could be spent on issues such as High Street paving and setting up low-cost community grocers, the government said.

"When our local neighbourhoods thrive, the rest of the country thrives too," said Local Growth Minister Alex Norris.

The money was announced by the previous administration as part of its Long-Term Plan for Towns.

However, Labour said the Tories' package was made up of "unfunded pledges" and the new plan "doubles the scope" of the projects that would be targeted.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said local boards - made up of residents, businesses and "campaigners" - would decide how the money would be spent.

Mayors would also have a formal role, a spokesperson said.

In total, 75 places across the UK were told they would receive the money.

This includes Great Yarmouth, King's Lynn and Thetford in Norfolk, and Wisbech in Cambridgeshire.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner MP said: "For years, too many neighbourhoods have been starved of investment, despite their potential to thrive and grow.

"Communities across the UK have so much to offer – rich cultural capital, unique heritage but most of all, an understanding of their own neighbourhood."