I'm delighted that Cheadle has been named as one of 100 to benefit from the Government’s new £3.6 billion Towns Fund.

Local community groups and businesses will play a key role in drawing up plans for how up to £25 million will be spent to transform the district centre, and the Government is expected to publish a guide soon outlining exactly how this will work.

Nearly half of the towns to benefit from the Towns Fund are in the north, and in total three quarters are outside of the south of England.

Having asked in Parliament and lobbied Ministers for towns in our region to receive significant investment I’m delighted to see that consistently making this case has paid off.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that Cheadle’s High Street in particular needs this support, and to play this down is to talk down our town. Cheadle needs investment, and I unequivocally welcome this much needed boost from a Government and a Prime Minister committed to realising the full potential of the Northern Powerhouse.

Above all else, this is a chance for community groups like Cheadle Civic Society to be involved and to realise their aspirations for the area their volunteers dedicate so much time to. I look forward to working with anyone and everyone to make the most of this fantastic opportunity.