£340 million from Europe for the Leeds City Region – with money allocated for Community Groups in Leeds.

Part of the deal in creating a single European market was to help less prosperous regions catch up. Over the years, Yorkshire & the Humber has done well out of European funding, not least the Regional Development Fund (for developing infrastructure and new businesses) and the Social Fund (aimed at training, skills and social inclusion).

Richard Corbett – one of Labour’s MEP candidates in Yorkshire and the Humber for the European elections in May – was involved in Brussels in the negotiations on the EU’s new seven-year budget framework.

So he was fascinated to get an insight into a local community’s plans about how to make good use of it here in Yorkshire, when he attended a consultation workshop held in New Wortley Community Centre recently.

£340 million has been given to Leeds City Region from the European Community’s ‘Growth Programme’– with much of it to be spent on large-scale…