Liverpool lags behind despite massive handouts

Nov 8 2007 by Larry Neild, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL and other big cities receiving vast pots of regeneration money to help catch up with rich towns are instead falling further behind, a new study revealed yesterday.

Researchers from Policy Exchange made a detailed study of regeneration funding given to Liverpool and other big urban sprawl cities.

The aim of the cash handouts was to bring the cities into line with the national average of economic wealth.

The study found cities such as Liverpool, which have received three-quarters or more of funding since 1994, are failing to catch up with more successful places.

Liverpool had the highest number of citizens – 25.6% – with no formal qualifications in a list of 25 major towns and cities. Unemployment in Liverpool, at 9.2% was also the highest against an average 4.3%, while life expectancy at 75.8 years was the second lowest.

It claims that in last decade, over £30bn has been spent on 14 difference core policy initiatives.