Councils all over the country can today bid for a share of £4.8 billion of flagship levelling up funding for projects that improve everyday life for people across the UK.

Applications for the second round of the government’s Levelling Up Fund opened for submission today (15 July 2022) and will remain open until midday on 2 August 2022.

The fund empowers communities by putting money directly into the hands of councils, and in Northern Ireland to a range of public and private organisations, to invest in projects which give people pride in the places where they live.

Previous grants from the first round have gone towards improving town centres, boosting local transport links and supporting cultural and historical assets.

Greg Clark, the newly appointed Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said:

I am determined to press full steam ahead with levelling up communities across the United Kingdom.

The Levelling Up Fund can provide the investment needed to make a project that communities have been dreaming of for years a reality.

So I’m delighted to open applications for the second round of the Levelling Up Fund and I’m looking forward to seeing proposals that will make a positive impact on people’s lives.

In a change to the application process, MPs in Great Britain will now be able to provide support to two bids that benefit their constituencies in this round, rather than a single one. This recognises the fact that many MPs’ constituencies cover more than one council area.

The second round will look to build on the success of the round one, which saw £1.7 billion awarded to 105 successful projects across the UK.

In round one, grants included £17.7 million provided for the restoration of the 900-year-old Haverfordwest Castle in Pembrokeshire into a high-quality all-weather visitor attraction and to develop the potential of the river as a feature of the town centre. Elsewhere, Omagh in Northern Ireland has received £4.1 million to regenerate its vacant health centre and transform it into a digital hub, creating 250 jobs and attracting local businesses and entrepreneurs.

£19.9 million was also awarded to West Dunbartonshire for a series of projects including revamping the Artizan Shopping Centre and transforming the area’s oldest building into a library and museum.

In England, ‘Northolt Travel Scheme’ in Ealing received £7.2 million for a high-impact active travel scheme that will improve accessibility to services and employment areas, and connect Northolt to the strategic cycle, pedestrian and public transport network. Bishop Auckland received £20 million to reopen the UK’s oldest suspension bridge and improve transport links for local people.

Millions of UK workers will be able take home more of their hard-earned cash under new legislation, backed by the government today (Friday 15 July), banning employers from withholding tips from their staff.

Despite most hospitality workers – many of whom are earning the National Minimum Wage – relying on tips to top up their pay, there are still sadly too many businesses who shamefully fail to pass on service charges from customers to their staff.

The Employment (Allocation of Tips) Bill, introduced by Dean Russell MP and backed by the government, will ensure that all tips go to staff by making it unlawful for businesses to hold back well-earned service charges from their employees.

This overhaul of tipping practices is set to benefit more than 2 million UK workers across the hospitality, leisure and services sectors – who tend to reply on tips the most – and will help to ease pressures caused by global inflation and an increase to the cost of living.

Business Minister Jane Hunt said:

At a time when people are feeling the squeeze with rising costs, it is simply not right that employers are withholding tips from their hard-working employees.

Whether you are pulling pints or greeting guests, today’s reforms will ensure that staff receive a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work – and it means customers can be confident their money is going to those who deserve it.

I particularly want to tip my hat to the work of Dean Russell MP and all the campaigners who have helped make the Tipping Bill a reality.

Through the Bill, a new statutory Code of Practice will be developed to provide businesses and staff with advice on how tips should be distributed. On top of this, workers will receive a new right to request more information relating to an employer’s tipping record, enabling them to bring forward a credible claim to an employment tribunal.

Dean Russell, Conservative MP for Watford, said:

I am delighted that my Tips Bill has passed second reading in Parliament. It is fantastic that we are on track to securing a fair deal for millions of people working in hospitality across the country.

It has always felt wrong that some employers have retained tips intended for their staff. This new legislation will halt this practice, particularly given the current challenges around the cost of living. I would like to thank all of the businesses and stakeholders that have got in touch to voice their support.

The move towards a cashless society has exacerbated the problem of companies keeping card tip payments for themselves, and today’s measures, once in law, will ban that practice.

UK Hospitality Chief Executive, Kate Nicholls, said:

Tips and service charges provide a significant and welcome boost to hospitality employees’ take-home cash. So we’re delighted to see this proposed legislation recommend that employers can set a fair distribution policy for staff, meaning they all benefit. This should also reassure prospective hospitality sector workers at a time when the industry is seeking to fill vacancies.

Today’s reforms follow a range of government action to support people with the cost of living and help those on lower incomes keep more of what they earn. Most notably, earlier this year the government increased the National Living Wage to £9.50 per hour – equivalent to an extra £1,000 a year for a full-time worker – with a full campaign which encouraged workers to check their pay.

In addition, the government recently announced a widening of the ban on exclusivity clauses, giving the lowest paid workers flexibility to top up their pay and work multiple jobs if they wish.

The reforms come at a time when there are more employees on payrolls than ever before – and unemployment has reached an all-time low.