Levellling up projects intended to tackle regional inequality across the UK have struggled to reach completion, according to data released under freedom of information laws and manually reviewed by the Guardian. The review found that 821 of 1,347 funded projects were not finalised as of May this year, underscoring delays in a flagship government programme that was billed as delivering rapid progress for towns and regions.
Substantial number of projects still in progress
The dataset indicates that in 73 council areas where bids had been accepted, not a single levelling up project had been fully completed. The Guardian additionally identified 59 projects that reached completion after the FOI data were collected, but these later completions do not alter the broader picture of widespread slippage against original timetables.
The levelling up agenda, a central plank of the Conservative government’s domestic policy in recent years, commits funding to local regeneration, infrastructure and town-centre renewal with the aim of reducing regional disparities. The FOI findings highlight practical obstacles — planning, procurement, construction and local capacity — that have slowed delivery and left many promised interventions unfinished years after funding allocations were announced.
Political and local implications
The delays will feed into debates over the effectiveness of the levelling up programme and the government’s ability to convert headline funding announcements into tangible outcomes for communities. Local authorities and project sponsors have faced a mix of administrative and delivery challenges, while ministers have defended the scheme as a long-term endeavour that will ultimately benefit towns and regions, albeit on a slower timetable than originally suggested.
The data review offers a cross‑section of the programme’s rollout and will form part of wider scrutiny from opposition parties, campaigners and local leaders seeking accountability for the pace and scale of delivery. With many projects still incomplete, the findings raise questions about how quickly the promised benefits of levelling up will be felt on the ground and what adjustments might be needed to accelerate progress.