Fears surrounding the future of £100 million of Levelling up funding have been calmed for now following Wednesday's Budget unveiling.

The previous Conservative government had promised £20m over 10 years for regeneration in Darwen, Accrington, Burnley, Rawtenstall and Nelson.

As part of the Long-Term Plan for Towns programme, announced in October 2023, 55 other towns across the country were also promised additional funding.

The programme was paused in July, following Labour's victory at the General Election, raising concerns among local authorities the plan may be scrapped after Labour said a "£22 billion black hole" had been left in public finances by the Tories making unfunded spending commitments.

In the Budget, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves MP said: “The Long-Term Plan for Towns will be retained and reformed into a new regeneration programme.”

Rachel Reeves announced the budget yesterdayRachel Reeves announced the budget on Wednesday(Image: PA) Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, Councillor Phil Riley, was pleased to hear the grant allocations hadn’t been scrapped.

Cllr Riley said: “As people suspected there was some possibility this scheme wouldn’t survive the budget, and on behalf of Blackburn with Darwen’s residents we are pleased it has.

"We are more than happy to work with the government when we understand the new sense of direction.”

The scheme identified geographical areas that needed to be pulled forward to create thriving communities as part of ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Levelling Up promise.

Significant amounts of work from local people had gone into informing the plans and local business experts were pleased to see the commitment had been maintained.

Miranda Barket, chief executive of East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, said: “I am really pleased to see the funding commitment is being maintained.

“Local communities have been very involved in an in-depth way in informing those plans and they are really good.

“I am really pleased the government has honoured the previous commitment to do that.”

However, with no concrete information regarding the future of the scheme as yet revealed, some East Lancashire Conservatives remain hesitant to welcome the news.

John Slater, leader of the Blackburn with Darwen Conservatives, said: “We are unsure yet.

"We are taking that they are still doing it, but we haven’t heard anything yet.

“We are waiting to see what they class as a new regeneration plan and whether are they taking the money away or not, as it has been kicked into the long grass.”