28 October 2026

The Labour Government has granted £1.44 million for Middlesbrough and £1.3m for Redcar & Cleveland as it unveils a major new plan to revive Britain’s high streets.

The funding, announced alongside today’s Budget, will help the council transform derelict and empty buildings into new spaces for businesses, public services and local communities.

The cash comes from the Labour Government’s new Derelict Buildings Fund, part of a wider package to breathe new life into struggling town centres across the country.

The announcement follows Luke’s ‘East Cleveland Growth Plan’ last year, which called to tackle “long-term derelict sites” in the area and “redevelop empty high street locations”. Luke has used the plan in Parliament to secure meetings with ministers and push for action.

The Government’s new High Streets Strategy will also give local communities more power to shape their town centres, including:

• Lower business rates for shops, pubs, restaurants and leisure businesses.
• New powers to tackle the spread of vape shops and adult gaming centres, including removing business rates reliefs.
• A ‘High Streets First’ approach, encouraging government services to move into town centres.
• More support for pubs and hospitality, including reforms to pavement licensing.
• £65 million to help communities save valued local buildings, including pubs, shops and community spaces.

The latest investment builds on the Government’s wider commitment to regenerating local communities, including the £40 million Pride in Place funding secured for East Middlesbrough recently.

Luke Myer MP said:

“Our high streets are the heart of our communities, but too many shops and buildings have been left empty for far too long. This funding is welcome news for our area. I want to see this money put to good use, bringing empty buildings back to life, supporting local jobs and making our town centres places people can be proud of again.”

Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner, said:

“Nobody knows a high street better than the community that it belongs to. That’s why this money puts power directly into their hands.

“We’ll see boarded-up buildings that have been left to rack and ruin turned into places people are proud to visit again, the pubs and clubs that mean so much to them thriving once more, and local businesses growing and creating jobs that put money back into their own community.

“That’s what this government is about. Backing the people who know their communities best, and giving them the tools to shape their own future and breathe new life into their high streets.”