Blackpool South MP Chris Webb met with Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the House of Commons on 27 March 2026 to push for more government support for the town’s most deprived neighbourhoods, specifically South Shore and Claremont.
The meeting comes as the 2025 Indices of Multiple Deprivation rank Blackpool as the most deprived local authority in England out of 296 districts. The data indicates that seven of the top 10 most deprived neighbourhoods in the country are located within the town, which also currently records the lowest life expectancy for both men and women in England.
During the meeting, Mr Webb presented regeneration plans developed alongside local community members to address challenges including housing, health services, and job creation. Mr Webb stated that South Shore and Claremont face some of the toughest challenges in the country and noted that residents have been let down for too long. In response, the Prime Minister agreed to involve his Downing Street policy team to explore potential solutions for the area.
While parts of Blackpool are seeing investment, such as the £90 million secured from Homes England in 2024 to clear poor-quality housing, South Shore and Claremont have not been included in the main Pride in Place programme. Although the area has received £1.5 million from the Pride in Place Impact Fund, Mr Webb continues to advocate for further support for the communities. The Pride in Place programme is a national initiative committing £5 billion to community-driven regeneration, which was recently expanded to include more areas across the country.
Mr Webb has been actively lobbying senior government figures regarding the decline in South Shore, including recent discussions with Chancellor Rachel Reeves and visits from government ministers following a major fire on Waterloo Road. Lancashire County Council continues to monitor the health and social metrics of the region as local leaders work to secure additional resources for long-term improvement.
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