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The UK Government’s Plan for Neighbourhoods, launched in March 2025, represents a landmark moment in community regeneration. With £1.5 billion allocated to 75 towns and neighbourhoods across the UK, this decade-long initiative aims to fix the foundations of the places most left behind.
The Plan for Neighbourhoods brings together residents, business leaders, and community leaders to begin to fix the foundations and take back control of their futures. It will help revitalise local areas and fight deprivation at root cause by zeroing in on three goals: thriving places, stronger communities, and taking back control.
As a street furniture company dedicated to designing functional, inclusive, and enduring public spaces, this programme opens the door to long-term transformation through smart, people-focused design.
A fresh vision for local places
Research shows that across the UK, 53% of people feel it is important that they can influence decisions affecting their local area, but only 27% feel able to do so. The number of adults who took part in civic participation fell from 41% in 2020 to 34% in 2022. The Plan for Neighbourhoods seeks to change that with a new approach: putting the power in the hands of local people to address deprivation and regenerate their local area.
Rather than being directed from the top down, each neighbourhood will set up a Neighbourhood Board made up of residents, councils, business and local groups to decide how their share of the funding (up to £20 million per area) is used. Research is clear that trust in communities and institutions are both the cause and result of high productivity and higher wellbeing.
Funding starts in April 2025, and communities are expected to start delivering projects from 2026 onwards.
Where design meets impact
The types of improvements supported under this plan align directly with Broxap’s role in shaping public life. These include revitalising high streets, upgrading pavements and pedestrian zones, improving parks, adding public seating, outdoor dining infrastructure, cycle storage, bins, lighting, signage and more. These are the foundations of liveable, walkable, and socially vibrant places; the kinds of environments where communities feel proud to spend time.
Custom versions of our timber and steel Willenhall Seats have been installed as part the Market Place project in Wigan Town Centre. Market Place, which has seen many improvements, was restored with the aim to provide the community with an attractive and practical social hub.
The improvements made are conscious to be in keeping with the unique, traditional style present in Wallgate; as well as complementing major town centre events including the Run Wigan Festival, Wigan 10K and Wigan Pride.
The opportunity to reclaim public space
Every part of the UK deserves to have vibrant neighbourhoods and communities with bust high streets, a good range of local amenities, and high-quality physical infrastructure.
In 2023, there were over 10,000 store closures across UK high streets, resulting in a vacancy rate of 14.5% in retail units. So, whether it’s a run-down high street, an empty unit with potential, or a local park that’s seen better days, this initiative enables local people to lead change that’s tailored to their needs.
For us, this is where design becomes transformative. The right street furniture, the right play equipment, the right layout, all these seemingly simple choices can redefine how a space feels and functions.
Long-term thinking, local collaboration
The Plan for Neighbourhoods is a strategic, long-term investment for how neighbourhoods function and how communities connect with their environment. For councils, town planners and local boards, there’s a chance to regenerate towns with quality design and community-led planning.
If you’re involved in a neighbourhood selected for funding and are looking to enhance public spaces, we’re here to help. Get in touch with our teams today.