More than 50 towns that have been “overlooked and undervalued” will each receive £20 million to help address issues including half-empty high streets, rundown shopping centres and antisocial behaviour.
The scheme, backed by £1 billion ($1.22 billion) of investment, aims to put "funding in the hands of local people" to improve their communities, said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
In total, 55 towns, including seven in Scotland and four in Wales, will each receive an endowment-style fund to be spent over a decade.
The money must be used on local priorities such as reviving high streets, tackling antisocial behaviour, improving transport, boosting visitor numbers and growing the local economy.
The investment in towns such as Grimsby in Lincolnshire, Wrexham in Wales and Dumfries in Scotland comes on the eve of the Conservative Party conference in Manchester.
Mr Sunak said: "Towns are the place most of us call home and where most of us go to work.
"But politicians have always taken towns for granted and focused on cities.
"The result is the half-empty high streets, rundown shopping centres and antisocial behaviour that undermine many towns' prosperity and hold back people's opportunity – and without a new approach, these problems will only get worse.
"That changes today. Our Long-Term Plan for Towns puts funding in the hands of local people themselves to invest in line with their priorities, over the long-term. That is how we level up."
As part of the investment, the towns will each set up a board, bringing together community leaders, employers, local authorities and the local MP to help deliver a plan for consultation.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said the town boards would be able to use a range of regeneration powers while using the new funding.
Officials suggested more private-sector investment could be unlocked by auctioning empty high-street shops, reforming licensing rules on shops and restaurants, and supporting more housing in urban centres.
They said research showed communities want to see more green spaces created and market days established to enhance town centres, with policing hotspots implemented to make public spaces safer.
Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said: "We know that in our towns the values of hard work and solidarity, common sense and common purpose, endeavour and quiet patriotism have endured across generations.
"But for too long, too many of our great British towns have been overlooked and undervalued.
"We are putting this right through our Long-Term Plan for Towns backed by over £1 billion of levelling-up funding.
"This will empower communities in every part of the UK to take back control of their future, taking long-term decisions in the interests of local people.
"It will mean more jobs, more opportunities and a brighter future for our towns and the people who live and work in them."
Ministers have promised central government support for the town boards as they formulate their vision.
A Towns Taskforce, sitting in the Department for Levelling Up and reporting directly to the Prime Minister and Mr Gove, will help them develop their plans and advise on how best to take advantage of government policies, unlock private and philanthropic investment and work with communities.
The department said towns had been chosen according to the Levelling-Up Needs Index, taking into account such aspects as skills, pay, productivity and health, as well as the Index of Multiple Deprivation, to ensure funding goes directly to urban areas that will benefit most.
Mr Gove's department said the government would work with local councils and the devolved administrations to determine how towns in Scotland and Wales would benefit.
Officials said they "look forward" to working with a restored executive, with power-sharing currently collapsed in Stormont, to determine the approach for providing support to Northern Ireland's towns.
Angela Rayner, Labour's shadow levelling up secretary, said: "It takes a special kind of arrogance for a Prime Minister caught on tape boasting that he had swiped money from 'deprived urban areas' to now expect local people to be grateful for a promise to hand a tiny fraction of it back.
"Levelling-up announcements from this government amount to barely more than shiny headlines, chaos and delays.
"While the Tories force communities to go cap in hand to Whitehall begging for their own money back, the next Labour government will spread power, wealth and opportunity to all parts of our country."
The 55 towns benefitting from £20 million of funding are: Mansfield; Boston; Worksop; Skegness; Newark-on-Trent; Chesterfield; Clifton (Nottingham); Spalding; Kirkby-in-Ashfield; Clacton-on-Sea; Great Yarmouth; Eston; Jarrow; Washington; Blyth (Northumberland); Hartlepool; Spennymoor; Darwen; Chadderton; Heywood; Ashton-under-Lyne; Accrington; Leigh (Wigan); Farnworth; Nelson (Pendle); Kirkby; Burnley; Hastings; Bexhill-on-Sea; Ryde; Torquay; Smethwick; Darlaston; Bilston (Wolverhampton); Dudley; Grimsby; Castleford; Doncaster; Rotherham; Barnsley; Scunthorpe; Keighley; Dewsbury; Scarborough; Merthyr Tydfil; Cwmbran; Wrexham; Barry (Vale of Glamorgan); Greenock; Irvine; Kilmarnock; Coatbridge; Clydebank; Dumfries; and Elgin.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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Men’s singles
Group A: Son Wan-ho (Kor), Lee Chong Wei (Mas), Ng Long Angus (HK), Chen Long (Chn)
Group B: Kidambi Srikanth (Ind), Shi Yugi (Chn), Chou Tien Chen (Tpe), Viktor Axelsen (Den)
Women’s Singles
Group A: Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn), Pusarla Sindhu (Ind), Sayaka Sato (Jpn), He Bingjiao (Chn)
Group B: Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe), Sung Hi-hyun (Kor), Ratchanok Intanon (Tha), Chen Yufei (Chn)
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Fixtures
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Oman
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Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
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December 14- 17
6pm, Opening ceremony, followed by:
Bengal Tigers v Kerala Kings
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
WHEN TO GO:
September to November or March to May; this is when visitors are most likely to see what they’ve come for.
WHERE TO STAY:
Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari - Chitwan National Park resort (tajhotels.com) is a one-hour drive from Bharatpur Airport with stays costing from Dh1,396 per night, including taxes and breakfast. Return airport transfers cost from Dh661.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Etihad Airways regularly flies from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu from around Dh1,500 per person return, including taxes. Buddha Air (buddhaair.com) and Yeti Airlines (yetiairlines.com) fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur several times a day from about Dh660 return and the flight takes just 20 minutes. Driving is possible but the roads are hilly which means it will take you five or six hours to travel 148 kilometres.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Born November 11, 1948
Education: BA, English Language and Literature, Cairo University
Family: Four brothers, seven sisters, two daughters, 42 and 39, two sons, 43 and 35, and 15 grandchildren
Hobbies: Reading and traveling
The National photo project
Chris Whiteoak, a photographer at The National, spent months taking some of Jacqui Allan's props around the UAE, positioning them perfectly in front of some of the country's most recognisable landmarks. He placed a pirate on Kite Beach, in front of the Burj Al Arab, the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland at the Burj Khalifa, and brought one of Allan's snails (Freddie, which represents her grandfather) to the Dubai Frame. In Abu Dhabi, a dinosaur went to Al Ain's Jebel Hafeet. And a flamingo was taken all the way to the Hatta Mountains. This special project suitably brings to life the quirky nature of Allan's prop shop (and Allan herself!).
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LEADERBOARD
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
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Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
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Sector: Aviation and space industry
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
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Transmission: 10-speed automatic
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PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 200
Amount raised: $3m
Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
