黑洞社区

The government is set to announce more than 拢1.5bn in new funding for cultural and sports projects at Wednesday鈥檚 spending review.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak will unveil 拢850m to restore and upgrade museums in England including the British Museum, Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert.

He is also expected to announce a further 拢700m to build or improve up to 8,000 sports pitches across the UK.

The announcements join a series of spending pledges trailed by the Treasury ahead of Wednesday鈥檚 budget, including nearly 拢2bn for housing on brownfield sites and around 拢1.5bn of new money for transport projects.

The government said funding for cultural hotspots will help museums, galleries and other visitor attractions redevelop and refurbish their sites over the next three years so the UK can retain its position as one of the world鈥檚 top tourist destinations.

The V&A, Tate Liverpool and the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, near Cambridge, will each get a share of a 拢300m fund, with York鈥檚 National Railway Museum also receiving redevelopment funding.

The Natural History Museum will get 拢125m to help build its new scientific research centre in Oxfordshire, where some 27 million objects, more than a third of the museum鈥檚 collection, will be housed when the facility is completed in 2026.

And the British Library鈥檚 site in Yorkshire is set to receive more than 拢77m, while over 拢75m will be given to 110 regional museums and libraries to improve their buildings and digital facilities.

The funding for sports clubs will also be used for a range of projects including new clubhouses and community buildings, the Treasury said, with the money also being used to build or refurbish up to 300 youth clubs in deprived areas.

Sunak said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e backing the next generation of Ward-Prowses and Raducanus, not just sporting stars, but inspiring young leaders. 

鈥淭his funding will level up access to sport and social clubs for youngsters ensuring they can get together and play the games they love most.鈥�

The funding for brownfield housing projects includes 拢9m to build small 鈥榩ocket parks鈥� about the size of a tennis court in urban areas across the UK.

Last week, the government unveiled 拢440m in new funding for green construction projects as part of its net zero strategy.

The money will go towards two new carbon capture clusters for the production of hydrogen in North-east England and on the border of Merseyside and North Wales.

The package also includes 拢120m for the development of small modular nuclear reactors, and 拢180m for the development of plants to create sustainable aviation fuel.