by Rebecca Hannant
Local leaders have outlined the next steps for the new £20 million Pride in Place funding.
On Friday, October 24, Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart met with South East Holderness ward councillors Sean McMaster, Lyn Healing and Jon Dimberline, and a government official from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government to discuss how the 10-year funding programme will be delivered.
It was previously announced that communities across South East Holderness would share £20 million over the next decade to help revitalise local facilities, services and opportunities.
The area was selected as one of 145 nationally identified as having high levels of deprivation, with up to £2 million available each year.
It was confirmed that the funding area will be known as Southern Holderness. East Riding Council will act as the accountable body, but decisions on spending will be made by a new Pride in Place Board.
The board must include at least one ward councillor and MP Graham Stuart, with the majority made up of residents and community representatives. An independent chairman will be appointed in consultation with the MP.
Mr Stuart said the meeting was set up to allow questions from ward councillors who are acting on behalf of residents, such as what the fund is for, how it can be used, what the process will be, and who will oversee it.
The new Pride in Place board will be responsible for choosing which community projects receive funding, based on suggestions and needs identified by local people. Given the size of the area, there may also be sub-boards to represent individual villages or communities within the area.
The boards do not have to be formed from the town and parish councils, though it is expected they will be represented.
A board is expected to be in place by summer 2026, with funds expected to start coming in in spring 2027.
Cllr McMaster and Cllr Healing added: “The meeting between us, Graham Stuart MP and the representative from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government went very well.
“It was a productive discussion on how we can progress forward with this £20 million Pride in Place programme and how it could benefit the area of Southern Holderness.
“At this juncture the main takeaways from the meeting were how the programme and the neighbourhood board will be set up. Our MP will meet with the leader of the local authority and others from within the council to work towards selecting an independent chairman for the neighbourhood board.
“The neighbourhood board will decide on which projects are funded. These are decided by engagement with local communities, community leaders, businesses and residents. We want this to be used to its full potential in that it needs to be in the hands of the community.
“The board will need to be in place by summer 2026, preferably sooner, so that they can begin engaging with local communities and identifying where these funds will be best spent. The funds will begin coming in from spring 2027.
“Hopefully by this point the neighbourhood board will have been successful in their engagement with residents and local communities and plans for the first wave of funding will be in place.”
Councillor Jon Dimberline said: “I believe that this fund will be great for the area. It can be used for anything that the community puts forward.
“It’s community-driven and it’s great for local people. There have already been lots of suggestions from across the area. We want representation from across the community.
“It was a very productive meeting, and it’s great for the community. It’s very wide-ranging, and I’m proud to be part of it.
“Let’s get ideas coming in and let’s get things done. It could be for local shops, sports facilities, play areas, charities, buildings, so many things. It’s aimed at helping socially and poorer areas improve. I think the board now needs to assemble and get moving.
“It is great to work with my fellow councillors and Graham on this. While I am not looking to be on the board myself, I am happy to be in the background, listening to people and putting their ideas forward.”
Cllr Dimberline again raised questions relating to the sustainability of projects that may suffer from a lack of long-term funding and maintenance. In response, he asked whether funds could be used to support projects long-term.
He added: “One of my concerns was whether some of the money could be used to sustain or maintain projects, rather than just funding something that looks great at first but ends up failing two years later.
“The answer to that was yes – money can be allocated to ongoing support. As long as sustainability is built in, the funding can go toward almost any project or idea.
“Graham also asked whether some of the money could be used to cover the cost of running the board, advertising, materials, equipment, or even a part-time member of staff to organise things. The answer to that was yes.”
The meeting also established which parts of the Holderness region would come under the Southern Holderness area.
The current map reveals that Withernsea, Hollym, Holmpton, Easington, Skeffling, Welwick, Patrington, Patrington Haven and Winestead will be covered by the funding. However, the map cuts off before Ottringham, meaning Keyingham will not be covered under current plans. Communities such as Rimswell and Halsham are also not currently covered.
However, Cllr McMaster said that the borders of the programme were not set in stone.
He added: “The borders of the programme are not set in stone – there is room for flexibility if areas outside of the set border need funding. This will of course be up to the board to decide.
“Graham Stuart MP has already started an online form that residents can fill out to put forward their ideas for where they think the money can be spent. This has been shared widely by me and Cllr Healing. We will be working with residents and the neighbourhood board along the way.”
Mr Stuart said: “The Southern Holderness Fund could make a real difference to Withernsea and all Southern Holderness.
“I’ve been banging the drum for Withernsea for two decades and this funding could start to make a difference to this fantastic town.
“I’m looking forward to working with Cllrs Sean McMaster, Lyn Healing and Jon Dimberline to make sure this money is delivered for the communities of South Holderness in a way that makes a long-term difference to the town.
“As the board forms, we need ideas from you, so please let us know at grahamstuart.com/SouthernHoldernessFund.”
The Gazette has approached East Riding Council for comment.