A boarded-up shop on Yorkshire Street in the West End of Morecambe
The West End of Morecambe will be given £2m of funding for each of the next 10 years in efforts to regenerate the area.
The government announced the £20m boost on Thursday, and said they want to improve the neighbourhood and put local people at the heart of decision making.
They said the pledge "is designed to bring lasting improvements, empower residents, and help Morecambe’s West End thrive for years to come".
The funding, part of the Labour Government’s Pride in Place (Plan for Neighbourhoods) programme, comes alongside new powers for communities to seize boarded-up shops, save derelict pubs and block gambling and vape shops on their high street.
The money will be administered by a board made up of local people.
Lizzi Collinge, MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, said it was "a huge step forward for the West End".
"I promised to fight for Morecambe and Lunesdale and this is the result," said Ms Collinge, below, pictured in the West End.
“Instead of empty words, we now have real money coming in to make a difference.
“To be clear, this is not about the government telling us how to spend this money, it is for local people to decide how this money is used in their community.
"This is a fund that is designed to put power into the hands of the public. Local people know their area better than anyone else and that is why the government has decided to do this differently.
“I want everyone in the West End to have their say on what matters most.
"Together, we can make our area somewhere we’re all proud to call home. I will be supporting the board to make sure everyone gets their say.”
The board will be led by an independent chair, allocating funding but only after consultation with local people so that community groups, local organisations and social clubs are included in decisions on how the money should be spent.
Ideas could range from upgrading parks and play areas, to health projects, fixing up empty buildings, supporting the high street, or creating new community spaces.
The Prime Minister announced the 'Pride in Place' programme on Thursday, with funding to invest in over 330 of the UK's most overlooked communities.
Initiatives announced were:
Community Right to Buy: handing local people the power to buy beloved assets, helping them turn around derelict pubs, create new parks and regenerate treasured spaces in the heart of their communities.
Compulsory Purchase powers: allowing communities in England to acquire assets and eyesores like boarded up shops and derelict abandoned businesses, allowing new local start-ups to thrive. For larger sites – like disused department stores or abandoned office blocks – it could even see new health centres opening up, or local housing to help reach the government's target of 1.5m homes.
Power to block unwanted shops: empowering councils in England to say no to new betting shops, vapes stores and fake barbers.
Giving residents the power: the government said they will only approve spending if community groups, local organisations and social clubs have been included in decisions on how the money should be spent – saying this will put real power in local hands and giving them a proper say over their community.
Morecambe Bay is to benefit from the support of national and regional teams to work with local leaders and communities to further develop neighbourhood health services.
Councillors have spoken out about plans for a new taxi office in the West End of Morecambe - saying it could lead to traffic chaos on a nearby road junction.