Arbroath: Plan for Neighbourhoods Programme

In March 2025 Prime Minister Starmer launched The Plan for Neighbourhoods programme which reforms and expands on the previous administrations Long-Term Plan for Towns programme.

The Plan for Neighbourhoods doubles the scope of the types of projects that can benefit and is now fully aligned with the government’s long-term Plan for Change missions: breaking down barriers to opportunity and kickstarting economic growth.

55 communities across the UK were chosen to be part of the first phase of this programme.

A second round of 20 UK communities were identified in March 2024.

Arbroath is one of the three communities in Scotland to receive £20 million in endowment-style funding and support over ten years to build up the Arbroath Neighbourhood Plan, with local people deciding what the priority projects are and what the money should be spent on.

The Neighbourhood Board will use the local community’s input to prepare a Regeneration Plan (ten-year vision for the town) and a three-year Investment Plan.

The Neighbourhood Board chair and Board members were initially appointed in June 2024. Following the launch of the Plan for Neighbourhoods the membership was reviewed and confirmation of membership provided to UK Government in April 2025.

Regeneration Plan Objectives

There are 3 strategic objectives of this programme:

Thriving Places

Vibrant neighbourhoods and communities with busy high streets, a good range of local amenities, and high-quality physical infrastructure.

Stronger Communities

Bringing people together so they can feel proud of their area and safe in their neighbourhood. Improve social capital, tackle the root causes of community division, rebuild relationships, and restore a collective sense of community belonging.

Taking Back Control

Empower people to have more of a say in how their local area is shaped, children have the best start in life and adults can live the life they want to. Empower people to enter the workplace, workers to progress, and businesses to grow. This will in turn help kickstart local economic growth.

Interventions

The UK Government published a list of pre-approved interventions that local authorities and Neighbourhood Boards can use for the Plan for Neighbourhoods programme.