“We want residents to tell us how it should be spent,” said Manchester leader Bev Craig, welcoming the latest round of government cash aimed at giving neighbourhoods more say. On 21 March 2026 ministers set out a £319m package under Pride in Place to back high streets and children’s play, with a firm promise to let communities lead. (manchester.gov.uk)

Most of the money – £301m – is earmarked for new High Streets Innovation Partnerships. Councils, local businesses and civic groups will be asked to work together to turn tired centres into mixed‑use places with homes, health services, libraries and green space. Locations will be confirmed later, but the brief is clear: boost footfall and bring empty units back into use. (gov.uk)

Alongside this sits £18m for safer, better play. Sixty‑six councils will receive direct funding to upgrade or buy new playground kit with no competitive bidding. Northern authorities on the list include Salford, Tameside, Bolton, Oldham, Wirral, Rotherham, South Tyneside, Stockton‑on‑Tees, Sunderland, Rochdale, Preston, Manchester, Stockport, Bradford, Wigan, Bury, Doncaster, Wakefield, Calderdale, Kirklees, Darlington, Northumberland, Barnsley, Cheshire East, Halton and West Lancashire. Councils are encouraged to buy British materials. (gov.uk)

Five pilots will ‘tear up the rulebook’ by pooling local budgets across agencies. The tests focus on: Liverpool (SEND pressures), the North East (youth offending), the Black Country (teen mental health), Doncaster (adults facing multiple disadvantage) and West Yorkshire (getting young people into good jobs). If results are strong, the model will be rolled out nationally. (gov.uk)

Barnsley is already shaping its ten‑year plan, worth £19.5m. Early projects include reviving vacant units, supporting the evening economy and linking Oakwell to the town centre through culture and active travel. “Our vision centres on Barnsley being the Place of Possibilities,” said Town Board chair Edward Naylor. (barnsley.gov.uk)

Rotherham’s programme shows how the numbers stack up locally: between 2026 and 2030, £3.84m is set aside for regeneration, high streets and heritage, with further funds for health and wellbeing, safety, skills and cohesion. Delivery starts in April 2026 under a community‑led Neighbourhood Board. (moderngov.rotherham.gov.uk)

Back in Manchester, four neighbourhoods - Clayton Vale, Gorton South, Benchill/Wythenshawe Central and Harpurhey South/Monsall - are set to share up to £80m over the decade. “Manchester welcomes the £80 million boost,” said Bev Craig, who wants residents to shape the spend through an open survey running to the end of June. (manchester.gov.uk)

West Yorkshire leaders are lining up skills and employment support so local firms can hire faster when the jobs pilot lands. The Combined Authority’s 2026/27 plans include more than £86m for training and employment, with a single flexible settlement giving long‑term certainty to invest. (westyorks-ca.gov.uk)

Zooming out, Pride in Place is a decade‑long programme now expected to reach 284 communities with up to £5.8bn. Phase one delivery funding starts flowing from April 2026, with phase two boards locking in membership by mid‑July. (gov.uk)

Ministers say a summer of activity will pull people back to high streets - timed around major cultural moments like the World Cup - while detailed High Streets Innovation Partnership allocations will follow. The proof will be in visible changes: safer streets, busier shopfronts and better places for kids to play. We’ll be tracking every pound. (gov.uk)