EU gives pounds 10m to urban blackspots

A pounds 10m grant for urban blackspots in Brighton, Bristol, Coventry and Merseyside was announced yesterday by the European Union Commission.

The funds will help thousands of people living in areas plagued by severe unemployment, poverty, crime, low levels of education, poor housing and inadequate social and community facilities. Brighton, Bristol and Coventry will each get pounds 3m of EU cash, with public and private funds boosting the total package to pounds 20m. Merseyside, which has already received nearly pounds 12m in EU grants for deprived areas, gets another pounds 1.5m. The grant aims to regenerate disadvantaged areas by making them safer and more pleasant places to live and work, boosting business confidence and setting up job- creation schemes.