Grimshaw's Eden Project North among 100 projects handed £2.1bn of levelling up cash

More than 100 projects across the UK have been awarded £2.1bn in funding as part of the second round of the government’s levelling up fund.

The Grimshaw-designed Eden Project North, which has received £50m, and Hawkins/Brown’s Blackpool ‘multiversity’ campus, given £40m, are among 111 sites to have been handed cash from the government’s flagship scheme.

A new rail link connecting towns in Cornwall, a major regeneration scheme in Gateshead and a rail upgrade in South Wales are also among the successful bids.

The government said the money has been targeted at historically overlooked areas, with a total of £672m allocated for improving transport, £821m for community regeneration and £594m to restore local heritage sites.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak said the “transformational” funding for local areas would grow the economy, create good jobs and “spread opportunity everywhere”.

“By reaching even more parts of the country than before, we will build a future of optimism and pride in people’s lives and the places they call home,” he said.

But the Labour party has criticised ministers for allocating more to the South East of England than deprived parts of the North East and said the money does not make up for past cuts made by Conservative governments.

Shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy told the BBC: “It takes an extraordinary arrogance to expect us to be grateful for a partial refund on the money they have stripped out of our communities.”

Also included in this round of the scheme is £20m to regenerate Accrington town centre, £20m for the construction of Willenhall Garden City in Walsall, £18m to improve Cleethorpes’ seafront, £17m to refurbish Leek town centre and £5.1m for new female changing rooms in Northern Island.

In Porthcawl, Wales, £18m has been allocated to refurbish the town’s Grand Pavilion, and £20m will go towards the restoration of the grade II-listed Haigh Hall in Wigan.

Levelling up secretary Michael Gove said the funding will “revitalise communities that have historically been overlooked but are bursting with potential”.

“We are delivering on the people’s priorities, levelling up across the UK to ensure that no matter where you are from, you can go as far as your talents will take you,” he said.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt added: “This is a major down payment on local jobs, growth and regeneration, all part of our mission to level up opportunity across the country.”

This round’s successful bids follows £1.7bn allocated to 105 projects in the first round of the scheme in 2021. The government said it had increased funding for the second round by £400m after receiving a high number of “transformative bids”.