News Andy Burnham MP for Leigh

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02/03/2009 - Cash boost for the Leigh area

The Government has confirmed that 43 North West councils including Wigan Council will receive their share of £13.6 million within the next few days. It will be used as they see fit to help meet local needs and priorities in this difficult economic climate.

This extra funding comes from the Local Authority Business Growth Incentives Scheme (LABGI) scheme that has been in operation since 2006, and rewards councils for successfully promoting economic growth in their area.

Leigh MP Andy Burnham has welcomed the £563,816 boost for local communities in the Leigh area. He said, "Over the last three years, this scheme has made a real difference to local communities - in these difficult economic times, it has an even more important role to play."

"Local Councils really are best placed to provide real help locally, tailored to local needs, to help people to stay in their homes and their jobs."

"So I am pleased that our share of the funding, with no strings attached and extra to the core grant the council receives will be a real boost to our area and provide much-needed support - particularly in these tough economic times"

The £100m LABGI payment is extra to the Local Government Finance Settlement. Next year - the second in the first-ever three-year settlement - local government will benefit from a 4.2 per cent increase in funding.

02/03/2009 - New fundraising partnership for elite sport unveiled

A groundbreaking new partnership to secure long-term private sector funding for Britain’s Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls was announced by Culture Secretary and leigh MP Andy Burnham.

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), the British Olympic Association (BOA), British Paralympic Association (BPA) and UK Sport have today signed a formal heads of agreement to pool their collective Olympic and Paralympic rights to help raise additional funds for elite sport in the run up to London 2012 and beyond.

The move builds on the ‘Medal Hopes’ scheme with an enhanced package of rights for sale as an official LOCOG sponsorship programme.

The private sector funding stream will be in addition to the record amount of public sector investment of £550 million for the final three years of the Beijing Olympic cycle and the four years of the London Olympic cycle through to 2013.

The funding model for elite athletes has been overhauled since the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, where there was virtually no public investment. In the Sydney and Athens Games, only Lottery money funded our athletes; in Beijing, that had stepped up to Lottery and Exchequer funding. Now, for London 2012 there will be a package of Lottery, Exchequer and private investment. Today’s agreement on the private sector aspect of this package will help deliver the commitment to elite athletes for the UK’s home Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.

Andy Burnham announced the ‘Team 2012’ scheme at a LOCOG partner event today.

The initiative will offer companies the chance to be associated with Olympic and Paralympic athletes and sports on UK Sport’s World Class Performance Programme. There will also be opportunities for regional and local companies, and individual patrons to get involved in supporting our athletes, through the scheme.

Andy said, “I challenged our Olympic and Paralympic partners to come together and develop a strong and exciting proposition for business to support our medal prospects and I am very pleased that they have stepped up to the plate."

“This scheme builds on the work of the Medal Hopes initiative and will ensure that private investment gives additional financial muscle to our Olympic and Paralympic athletes to help their preparations for 2012 and beyond."

“We are already investing an unprecedented level of public funding - more than £300 million – over the next four years that will result in us fielding the strongest ever British teams at London 2012."

“But this private sector funding stream will boost our medal chances even further and leave a lasting legacy from the Games. We know times are tough for many businesses, but this is a huge opportunity to be associated with the success of our athletes and the excitement that has surrounded Olympic and Paralympic sport since last summer’s triumphs in Beijing – to give something and get something back in return.”

25/02/2009 - Leigh MP to meet Beckett & Blears to drive forward Bickershaw Project

Andy Burnham MP is to meet Housing Minister Margaret Beckett MP and Communities Secretary Hazel Blears MP following the announcement last week that plans for a residential led mixed use scheme had stalled on the 45 acre site.

The former Colliery site will also be home to a 18 hole Golf Course, Driving Range and open space for recreation. These aspects of the site regeneration are unaffected by last weeks announcement.

Andy Burnham MP said, “I have campaigned since my election in 2001 for the regeneration of the Bickershaw site so I was surprised to learn from press statements that progress had stalled on the delivery of over 600 new homes."

“I appreciate that the current financial downturn has played its part but it is exactly for this reason that we must continue with infrastructure works on site which will protect jobs and the public and private investment in the site."

“These are exceptional times and the local economy needs real help now. That’s why in my meeting with Margaret Beckett and Hazel Blears I will press for a clear timetable which will allow essential infrastructure works to continue whilst a way forward can be agreed on delivering housing on the site.”