Knowsley Council 'only told of levelling up cash by media'

Mr Morgan said Kirkby had been "forgotten about" by national government

A council leader has said he was "surprised" to only learn via the media that his area had been given a share of the government's levelling up budget.

Knowsley Council leader Graham Morgan said he had not been told directly about the £20m investment for Kirkby.

He said much of his area had been "forgotten about" by the government.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said "for too long, too many of our great British towns have been overlooked and undervalued".

Mr Morgan said the Labour-run council had not been told directly about the boost for Kirkby, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Mr Morgan said residents would be "pivotal" in deciding how the money would be spent

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Mr Morgan said: "We welcome the £20m investment in #Kirkby (& nice to be notified via the media!) which is one of the towns in our Borough which has been forgotten about by the national Government."

The £20m funding is part of a wider package of £1.1bn of funding being handed to 55 towns across the UK.

In a statement on the council's website, Mr Morgan added local residents would be "pivotal" in deciding how the money will be spent.

The Labour politician also spoke of other areas of Knowsley that had been "overlooked" by Conservative government funding.

'Priorities'

"While we are pleased to see Kirkby being supported and will make the best possible use of this funding, our recent levelling up bids had focussed on Huyton and Prescot - both of which have been overlooked yet again," Mr Morgan said.

"As well as Kirkby, Huyton and Prescot need government investment to level up and align them to other towns across the country.

"The emphasis on this latest round of funding is local people and ensuring the investment is used to address their priorities.

"We are continuing to deliver the priorities identified by our communities who will once again be pivotal in deciding how this latest investment will be used."

Details of the conditions of how the money should be spent have yet to be revealed.

Local authorities in receipt of the funding are required to set up a town board made up of local politicians and community groups.

This board will develop a "long-term plan" for public consultation.