Euan Stainbank MP: Falkirk Labour delivers £20m for ‘forgotten Braes Villages and Hallglen’
Falkirk MP Euan Stainbank has welcomed confirmation that the Braes Villages and Hallglen Neighbourhood has been selected as the priority area in the Falkirk Council area to receive up to £20 million through the UK Labour Government’s Pride in Place Programme, delivered over the next 10 years.
The programme will provide long-term, flexible funding to support community-led regeneration, with residents playing a central role in shaping how the investment is used.
Mr Stainbank said the announcement marks a turning point for communities that have too often been left off the map when it comes to investment and opportunity.
Mr Stainbank said: “Today is a major moment for the Braes Villages and Hallglen — communities that have too often sent politicians to Westminster and Holyrood and had little to show for it. That era is over today.
“My grandparents grew up in these villages. Their work ethic, their contribution, and their commitment to family were forged in close-knit communities where everyone knew one another.
“Yet in recent years, people here have watched opportunities for their kids disappear and community assets close. Falkirk Council closed Hallglen Sports Centre in 2019, in a long-line of losses to the community, and the impact on local families and young people is still too acutely felt.
“You have told me your priorities — and I have heard you clearly: too many young people feel left behind, and too many of our communities have felt forgotten when decisions about where money is spent.
“That is why I have fought to make sure this investment comes to the places that need it most. Pride in Place is about restoring confidence, backing local ambition, and making sure this community’s proud heritage is matched by a strong future.
“The next stage is to bring together a Neighbourhood Board made up of the unheard, passionate voices in this community. It will be led not by me as your MP, but by an independent, non-political Chair, with local people at the heart of decision-making.
“This is £20 million for the villages that should never be forgotten again — and I want as many people as possible to have their say on how it should be spent.”