North West Leicestershire District Council has missed out on a chance to benefit from the third round of the Government’s Levelling Up fund, which had netted numerous other Councils upwards of £20 million per project, for regeneration.

Commenting on the outcome, Opposition Labour Group Leader, Sean Sheahan said, “the Tory-led Administration might have been expecting to be invited to submit a bid for round three of Levelling Up. Instead, they have had the door slammed in their face, because they didn’t bother to bid in round two.”

The Government’s announcement surprised many, with the minister, Jacob Young, saying it was not accepting new bids for Levelling Up round three, and would only be revisiting bids that were rejected in the second round.

Councillor Sheahan asked a question at the September 2022 Council meeting about what needed to change in order for a bid to go forward this year. The Council Leader, Richard Blunt, replied that the decision not to bid to round two, was for ‘tactical’ reasons.

One year on and Councillor Sheahan commented, “this didn’t make much sense at the time and now it just sounds pitiful. it’s increasingly clear that we have a Council Leadership wallowing in indifference. It’s that which needs to change.”