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Programme guide

The Pride in Place programme, explained

Pride in Place is the UK Government's long-term neighbourhood regeneration programme. This guide sets out what it is, how the money works, who decides where it goes and what your area has to produce — in plain English.

284

Named communities

Up to £20m

Funding per area

10 years

Programme length

The basics

What is the Pride in Place programme?

Pride in Place is a neighbourhood regeneration programme run by the UK Government's Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. It gives selected neighbourhoods long-term, flexible funding — typically up to £20 million over ten years — to invest in the things local people say matter most.

Neighbourhood scale

Money is targeted at a defined neighbourhood rather than a whole council area, so investment is visible on one high street, estate or town centre.

Long-term by design

A ten-year horizon lets areas plan beyond the usual single-year funding cycle and commit to things that take time to pay off.

Locally decided

A Neighbourhood Board of residents and local partners sets the priorities, with the council acting as accountable body for the money.

Typical investment themes include high streets and town centres, community and youth spaces, safety and public realm, transport and connectivity, and support for local enterprise. The official programme documents are published by government — read the Pride in Place collection on GOV.UK.

The money

How Pride in Place funding works

Funding is allocated to the neighbourhood, held by the local authority as accountable body, and released across the decade against the plan the Board agrees.

What the allocation looks like

Named areas receive a headline allocation — commonly up to £20 million — profiled over ten years rather than paid as a lump sum. The mix of capital and revenue matters: capital builds and repairs things, revenue pays for the people and programmes that keep them used.

Who holds the money

The local authority is the accountable body. It handles assurance, procurement and reporting, but it does not set the priorities on its own — that is the Board's job, agreed jointly through the plan.

Governance

Who sits on a Neighbourhood Board?

Every Pride in Place area sets up a Neighbourhood Board. It is the decision-making body for the neighbourhood and it is meant to be led by the people who live there.

Residents

People who live in the neighbourhood, recruited so the Board reflects the area rather than the usual voices.

Community and voluntary organisations

Groups already delivering on the ground — youth work, faith groups, tenants' associations, food projects.

Local businesses

High street traders and larger employers with a stake in the neighbourhood's economy.

Public sector partners

The local authority as accountable body, plus partners such as police, health and housing providers.

The deliverable

What a 10-year vision and 4-year investment plan need to include

The plan is the agreement between the Board, the community and the accountable body. It is what the funding is released against, so it needs to be specific.
  1. 1

    Evidence base

    What the data and residents say about the neighbourhood: deprivation, health, safety, footfall, empty units, transport.

  2. 2

    Agreed priorities

    A small number of themes the community has genuinely chosen, not a wish list of every possible project.

  3. 3

    Interventions

    The specific things the money will fund, sequenced across the ten years with early wins and longer builds.

  4. 4

    Governance

    How the Board makes decisions, manages conflicts of interest and works with the accountable body.

  5. 5

    Measurement

    The outcomes you will track, the baseline you are starting from and how you will report progress.

Objectives

What the programme is trying to achieve

Every 10-year vision and 4-year investment plan is judged against the programme's strategic objectives. Boards that name the objective each intervention serves — and how they will evidence it — write far stronger plans.

Thriving places

Visible improvement to the physical fabric of the neighbourhood — high streets, parks, public buildings, transport and safety — so the place feels cared for.

Typical measures

  • Condition of buildings and public space
  • Empty units and footfall
  • Perceptions of safety

Stronger communities

More and better social infrastructure: the groups, spaces and relationships that let people meet, organise and support each other.

Typical measures

  • Active local organisations
  • Use of community spaces
  • Volunteering and participation

Taking back control

Real local decision-making power sitting with residents through the Neighbourhood Board, not just consultation on decisions already taken.

Typical measures

  • Resident representation on the Board
  • Local influence over spend
  • Trust in local institutions

Deadlines

Key dates and what has to be in place

Exact submission dates vary by cohort and nation. Treat this as the sequence to plan against, and confirm your own dates with your accountable body and MHCLG contact.
  1. 12 August 2026Official information

    MHCLG Pride in Place guidance published

    The core guidance for named areas: governance expectations, the 10-year vision, the 4-year investment plan and assurance arrangements.

  2. Within the first months of being namedOfficial information

    Neighbourhood Board established

    Board recruited and constituted with resident majority representation, an agreed chair, terms of reference and the local authority confirmed as accountable body.

  3. Before the investment planOfficial information

    10-year vision agreed

    The long-term direction for the neighbourhood, built on evidence and community engagement, signed off by the Board.

  4. As set by MHCLG for your cohortOfficial information

    4-year investment plan submitted

    The costed, deliverable programme for the first four years, submitted through the accountable body. Submission windows differ by cohort — confirm yours with your accountable body.

  5. Ongoing through deliveryOfficial information

    Monitoring and reporting returns

    Regular reporting to MHCLG through the accountable body, alongside the local learning your Board keeps for itself.

Dates change. Check the latest official guidance and announcements before working to any deadline shown here.

Next steps

What happens next in your area

Progress varies. Some Boards are still being recruited; others have published plans and started spending. The quickest way to find out where your neighbourhood stands is to look it up.

Check your area

Every named community across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with funding, phase and plan links.

Search the community directory

Build the plan

Free templates, toolkits and checklists covering evidence, engagement, governance and measurement.

Browse the resource library

Get practical help

UrbanCat's diagnostic, blueprint and delivery partner support for Boards that want an extra pair of hands.

See how UrbanCat supports Boards

FAQs

Pride in Place questions and answers

What is the Pride in Place programme?
Pride in Place is a UK Government neighbourhood regeneration programme that gives selected communities long-term funding, typically up to £20 million over ten years, to invest in local priorities such as high streets, community spaces, safety and transport.
Who decides how Pride in Place funding is spent?
Each area sets up a Neighbourhood Board made up of residents, community organisations, local businesses and public sector partners. The Board agrees a 10-year vision and a rolling 4-year investment plan with its local authority, which acts as the accountable body for the money.
How do I find out if my area is part of Pride in Place?
Search the community directory on this site. It covers every named Pride in Place community across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with the local authority, programme phase, funding and links to published plans.
What do the 10-year vision and 4-year investment plan need to include?
Plans generally set out the neighbourhood's evidence base, the priorities agreed with residents, the interventions to be funded, governance and decision-making arrangements, and how progress will be measured over the ten years.
Are the resources on this hub free to use?
Yes. Every template, toolkit and checklist in the resource library is free for Neighbourhood Boards, local authorities and community organisations to download and adapt.
How can UrbanCat help my Neighbourhood Board?
UrbanCat offers three levels of practical support: a Neighbourhood Diagnostic to understand where you are today, a Neighbourhood Blueprint to build your 10-year vision and 4-year investment plan, and a Neighbourhood Delivery Partner role to support delivery over the decade.