Next Steps in
Levelling Up the Former Coalfields
The Purpose of the Inquiry
The APPG launched its Inquiry into Next Steps in Levelling Up the Former Coalfields in November 2022 with the aim of identifying a contemporary agenda for the regeneration of the former coalfields in England, Scotland and Wales.
June 2023 marks twenty-five years since the UK Government published its Coalfields Task Force Report , which with the active support of past and present members of the APPG went on to shape many of the subsequent interventions to support mining communities. Much has changed since then, in the former coalfields and more generally in the national economy. But as the 2019 State of the Coalfields report documented only too clearly, the loss of coalmining jobs still casts a long shadow.
The APPG therefore felt it was time to take a fresh look at the needs of the former mining communities and to try to steer policies to improve the lives of residents, these days only a minority of whom once worked in the coal industry. The interventions so clearly needed twenty-five years ago are not necessarily those needed today.
Next Steps in Levelling Up the Former Coalfields.pdfInquiry Report
Download the full report of the APPG on Coalfield Communities' inquiry.
Press release - APPG Coalfield Communities inquiry.pdfPress Release
View the press release announcing the launch of the report.
This is not an official publication of the House of Commons or the House of Lords. It has not been approved by either House or its committees. All-Party Parliamentary Groups are informal groups of Members of both Houses with a common interest in particular issues. The views expressed in this report are those of the group.
Submissions of Evidence
The APPG received over 70 submissions, including from local councils, the Scottish and Welsh Governments, the business sector, voluntary organisations, campaign groups and a number of individuals. A full list of the organisations and individuals submitting evidence is included in the appendix.
The Group is immensely grateful to those who took the time to respond.
Inquiry Recommendations
Stronger policies are needed to grow local economies in the former coalfields, including tackling high levels of economic inactivity.
Coalfield regeneration money returned to the Treasury should be recycled to support the Coalfields Regeneration Trust’s programme of property investment.
There needs to be major investment in transport infrastructure in the former coalfields, particularly local rail connectivity and integrated public transport.
The UK and devolved governments should investigate geothermal mine water energy as a sustainable heating source across former coalfield areas.
The Coal Authority, funded by the UK Government, should cover the costs of dealing with coal tip safety in Wales.
The division of surpluses from the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme should be renegotiated in favour of retired miners, in line with the recommendations of the BEIS Select Committee.
CISWO should outline its strategic direction so that coalfield partners can scrutinise and better understand the organisation’s aims and objectives.
The Lottery distributors should reassess their priorities and methods to bring their spending in the former coalfields much closer to the national average.
Levelling Up funds should be streamlined to create long-term, formula-driven, targeted funding.
The remit of Homes England should be amended to include industrial and commercial developments in areas of market failure.
There needs to be increased provision of high-quality, broad-skilled apprenticeships to put academia and vocational training on an equal footing.
Communities should be granted a statutory right to take ownership of assets of community value.