A Merseyside town has spent thousands “gambling” on a “broken and bent” funding system.
Sefton Council has spent more than £120,000 on its two most recent and unsuccessful Levelling Up fund bids, Freedom of Information requests submitted by the ECHO have revealed. £62,592 was spent on the first round in 2021 with £60,660 spent on the second round, with the successful applications revealed in January 2023.
Both of the bids focused on Sefton Council’s plans to regenerate Bootle Strand, the local high street and parts of Crosby. On both occasions the bids were knocked back by the Government, with council leader Cllr Ian Maher describing the decision in January as “another slap in the face.”
