Michael Gove criticises Ipswich council over Towns Fund

Michael Gove was talking about Ipswich Borough Council's local shopping parade improvements and the renovation of a former silo building

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has singled out a council for "not delivering" on projects funded with government money.

Ipswich Borough Council received £25m to pay for 10 projects in the town as part of Westminster's Towns Fund.

The Labour leader of the council told the BBC he believed the local authority was ahead of the national average on Towns Fund projects.

More than half of the fund has already been designated to rejuvenation plans.

Speaking in the Commons, Mr Gove said "we have not seen the progress that we would expect" regarding two schemes in the town.

Mr Gove was speaking about the council's plan to improve shopping parades and the renovation of a former silo building.

Conservative MP for Ipswich Tom Hunt also said progress on the Towns Fund projects was "not good enough" and accused the council of putting "politics before delivery that Ipswich people desperately need".

Nearly £8m could be used to buy and develop empty shops in the town centre using the Towns Fund money

In response, council leader Neil MacDonald said "13 community grants have been approved and some projects have completed" and that the installations of bins, cycle racks and benches had started.

Mr MacDonald claimed the Tory government had "mishandled the economy" and said: "[The council] has worked hard to fill funding multi-million pound gaps on both Broomhill Pool and Ipswich Museum.

"Ipswich Borough Council have already started on work to close the financial gap on the silo."

Mr Macdonald said the council had completed three of the ten planned projects, including converting a former post office building into a hospitality venue.