Coventry has been denied £13 million of aid to rejuvenate neighbourhoods and communities in the city.

Community groups, voluntary organisations and public agencies got together to make the bid to the latest round of the latest round of the Single Regeneration Budget.

But with applications pouring in from all over the region, this bid proved unsuccessful.

Advantage West Midlands decided that Coventry’s bid was not one of the highest priorities for the area.

The decision leaves the future of various schemes and projects in deprived areas of the city hanging in the balance.

Matt Feeley, Regeneration Policy Advisor at the City Council said:

"This decision has serious implications for the work that needs to be done to give people living in Coventry's high priority neighbourhoods the best opportunities to succeed."

Community Safety Bureaux are to be set up across the city to tackle local issues such as anti-social behaviour and domestic violence.

But they will now receive less money because of the unsuccessful bid.

Mr Feeley said Coventry’s recent economic revival was one of the reasons that the money did not come.

He said the city had moved from being the 40th most deprived local authority to 76, out of 300 council areas, and this would affect the city’s ability to win bids.

Over the next week representatives of the local partnership will meet with Advantage West Midlands to get more detailed feedback and to consider the way forward.

Mr Feeley said a bid would be prepared for next year’s round of funding, which will cover a different topic.

Cllr Tom White, cabinet member (Community Well-being) said he was bewildered by the decision.

He said:

"A great deal of hard work went into producing this bid from a large number of agencies and local people.

“I am determined this effort will not go to waste and we will do all we can to find alternative funding for these projects".

The bid, called "Neighbourhood Matters in Coventry" aimed help the most vulnerable and socially excluded communities in the city.

It sought to address directly the way crime and poverty disable community life and prevent people living in those areas benefiting directly from new economic opportunities. 

Crime and poverty are two of the 6 priorities within the Coventry Community Plan.

The objective of the plan is to make measurable improvements by 2003, which will be harder to achieve without the SRB cash.

Funding from the SRB grant was intended to support, amongst other things, the following

• Building the capacity of local people or groups to regenerate their areas
• Assistance with promoting community safety and relieving crime concerns
• Better access to basic skills training
• Increased guidance on personal income raising opportunities
• Provision of vocational training initiatives and employment generating schemes

Matt Sawers, Acting Superintendent at Little Park Street said the fight against crime and poverty would continue despite the setback:

"The police and partner agencies remain determined to tackle these issues with or without assistance and are committed to meeting the priorities identified after the direct involvement of local people."