The funding, announced by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, is designed to bring empty and derelict buildings back into use.
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The package includes a £125m Derelict Buildings Fund, which will support local authorities to turn vacant shopping centres, disused cinemas and other empty sites into new uses such as workspaces, cafes, community hubs, health centres and civic spaces.
A further £65m will be invested in helping communities across England rescue and revamp valued buildings and businesses at risk of closure, including pubs and sports clubs.
Community ownership
The Government said the funding would build on existing schemes such as the Pride in Place programme, which has supported local groups to take over community assets.
An additional £20m will be split between High Street Rental Auctions, which aim to bring properties vacant for 12 months or more back into use, and a new Co-operative Development Programme.
The £10m co-operative programme will help mayors and strategic authorities support more businesses owned and run by staff, customers and local communities.
High street strategy
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said people judged growth by what was happening on their local high street.
He said: “Are shops opening or are the shutters down? Does the place feel like it’s moving forward or being left behind?
“The truth is that too many high streets have been left to hollow out, leaving town centres a shell of what they once were. That must change, and today’s funding will help put power back into the hands of locals who know their area best.”
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner said the money would help turn boarded-up buildings into places people were proud to visit again.
She added: “We’ll see the pubs and clubs that mean so much to them thriving once more, and local businesses growing and creating jobs that put money back into their own community.”
The Government said a full high streets strategy would be published later this year. The £210m package comes from funding already allocated for high street support and regeneration.
