Charity's fears that Hartlepool will 'miss out' on levelling up cash

The Salvation Army says large parts of the region have yet to see any of the cash, even though nearly half of the money – designed to tackle regional inequalities – has already been spent.

The charity has identified Hartlepool, South Tyneside, Gateshead, Middlesbrough, Hexham, and Ashington as some of the areas that will miss out.

The Salvation Army has welcomed the Government’s plans to increase opportunities, raise wages and provide decent housing nationally.

But it is calling for a rethink of how local need is calculated to ensure investment in communities where people need training and stable job opportunities.

It says the levelling up policy should help develop local labour markets in areas that rely heavily on low skilled and low paid seasonal work or in shrinking industries.

Major David Burns, The Salvation Army’s Divisional Commander for North East England, said: “The people who come to our food banks, debt and employment advice services in the region want to work but are often held back by things beyond their control.

"Poorly paid seasonal work, lack of access to affordable childcare or just no opportunity to retrain, can trap people and entire areas in deprivation.”

He added: “We are not criticising where funding has been allocated but, with almost half already spent, we are asking the Government to focus what money is left on those areas with the highest level of deprivation.”