The Government’s Plan for Neighbourhoods - renamed the Pride in Place Programme in September 2025 - represents a shift towards long-term, neighbourhood-scale, community-led regeneration. The programme commits £1.5 billion nationally, providing up to £20 million over ten years to each of 75 selected neighbourhoods, with funding released from April 2026 onwards. Local Authorities (LAs) that adopt evidence-led, placemaking-focused regeneration plans, underpinned by strong governance and meaningful community leadership, will be best placed to deliver sustainable outcomes and demonstrate value for money.

What is Pride in Place (formerly the Plan for Neighbourhoods)?

Announced in March 2025 as the Plan for Neighbourhoods and subsequently rebranded as Pride in Place, the programme supports 75 neighbourhoods across the UK that have experienced long-term economic and social decline. Each neighbourhood can receive up to £20 million over ten years on a non-competitive basis. Funding is overseen by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and is intended to move away from short-term, bid-based regeneration towards sustained, locally driven investment.

At the heart of the programme are locally established Neighbourhood Boards, which are responsible for setting priorities, agreeing a long-term Regeneration Plan and overseeing delivery in partnership with the relevant local authority.

Why Pride in Place matters for local authorities

The programme places neighbourhoods – rather than towns or wider regions – at the centre of regeneration policy. It emphasises visible improvements, long-term commitment and resident empowerment. For LAs, Pride in Place requires a renewed focus on partnership working, governance and delivery, ensuring neighbourhood priorities are aligned with Local Plans, housing strategies, transport and active travel plans, economic inclusion initiatives and climate objectives.

Placemaking as a delivery framework

Placemaking – the process of designing, managing and animating places to strengthen the relationship between people and their environment – provides a practical delivery framework for Pride in Place. The programme’s emphasis on tangible, street-level change and community leadership closely aligns with established placemaking principles.

• Community-led design: co-design processes translate resident priorities into spatial, investment-ready proposals.
• Visible public realm improvements: safer, greener and more accessible streets deliver early, highly visible benefits.
• Social infrastructure focus: community hubs, youth facilities and health-related spaces support cohesion and resilience.
• Linking physical and social outcomes: investment is tied to outcomes such as pride, safety, participation and local economic activity.
• Phased long-term change: a 10-year horizon enables early wins, medium-term transformation and long-term stewardship models.

Key considerations when preparing regeneration plans

• Governance and leadership - LAs should support the establishment or strengthening of Neighbourhood Boards with clear terms of reference, transparent decision-making and representative membership. Roles between the LA, the Board and central government should be clearly defined, and programme management arrangements should be proportionate but robust for a decade-long investment programme.
• Evidence, alignment and assurance - Regeneration plans should be grounded in neighbourhood-based evidence (what the neighbourhood needs with community-led designs) and aligned with the LA’s wider strategic plans. Clear baselines and outcome measures are needed to demonstrate progress, support assurance and enable future funding conversations.
• Delivery, funding and long-term stewardship - Pride in Place funding should be phased over the full ten-year period. LAs should map public assets within the neighbourhood and develop a retain/repurpose/dispose strategy that supports regeneration and social‑infrastructure goals. Sites that unlock mixed‑use and affordable housing delivery should be prioritised, and LAs should ensure that development and partnership agreements are future-proofed and maintain clear audit trails around procurement, commissioning and asset decisions.

How we can help

Anthony Collins’ Neighbourhood Regeneration Toolkit provides a structured, end-to-end framework for taking regeneration schemes from inception through to delivery. It supports LAs in evidencing decision-making, managing risk, addressing subsidy control and procurement considerations, and sequencing complex, long-term regeneration programmes such as Pride in Place. Complete the form to receive the toolkit, sent after a free 30-minute conversation where our expert legal advisors will walk you through the toolkit and answer your questions.