Bassetlaw District Council boss issues update on £20million Levelling Up bid after email circulates on social media

Interim chief executive David Armiger has issued a further statement after an email was circulated on social media which showed an automated reply from the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities saying it had received a bid – 33 minutes after the funding deadline.

The council failed to secure its Levelling-Up Fund bid in the first round of funding in November despite being placed by the Government into category one as a priority for investment.

The money was to be used to improve the traffic flow around Victoria Square and make it more accessible, removing surplus retail space to create more leisure and public spaces and opening up the area around the Chesterfield Canal.

Mr Armiger said: “The email that has been circulated on social media is an automatic reply from the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities to the council and was received by us at 12.33pm on June 18, 2021.

"As already stated, the council submitted its bid ahead of the deadline and we have no control as to when automatic emails generated by the department are sent by their systems.

“In order to resolve this matter, we are currently seeking formal confirmation from officials in the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities to confirm our stance on this issue.”

Questions have been raised about whether the bid after Bassetlaw MP Brendan Clarke-Smith asked the DLUHC if it was submitted by the council on time and with the correct documentation provided.

Secretary of State for DLUHC Neil O’Brien, confirmed that the department “did not receive a Levelling Up Fund application from Bassetlaw District Council by the application deadline.”

Last week Mr Armiger said it was only when the Government announced the successful recipients that the council learned its bid “had not been processed.”

“We have since spoken to officials within the DLUHC and while it is very disappointing not to have been considered in this first round of funding, we are now working with the department to gain feedback on our original bid to ensure that our submission is even more robust for the next round of funding in the spring,” he added.