The need for increased investment in deprived communities is something that the Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities (SIGOMA) has long championed. It was therefore encouraging to see the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods (ICON) set out a clear call to action on this recently, centred on increased, sustained funding for local government.
ICON's report, No Short Cuts, sets out the urgent need for a national neighbourhood strategy to support the recovery of many of the most deprived neighbourhoods across the country. Around 70% of the neighbourhoods identified by ICON as ‘mission critical' (those that have seen the least progress in delivering the Government's missions) are within SIGOMA areas, highlighting the deep damage caused by more than a decade of chronic underfunding and the need for national, targeted support.
