Suffolk has been left out of the government's 'levelling up' scheme, with the East of England getting just £92 per person while other areas are offered more than £350.

Analysis compiled by the East of England Local Government Association (EELGA), which represent 50 local authorities in the east, has shown the extent to which the region has been left behind compared to the rest of the country.

Allocations of the funds work out to £92 per person in the east of England, while some parts of the north have been handed £359 per person.

The EELGA analysis commented: "It is disappointing to see that the East of England has received considerably less than other areas.

“The levelling up fund is the most obvious example of the East of England not receiving an equitable share.

"The East of England is not being levelled up in the same way as the rest of the country."

The first round of the levelling up fund provided the East of England with £87m, none of which will be seen in Suffolk, as no areas of the county are deemed as a 'high enough priority'.

The government categorises areas into three priority tiers for level up funding, with none of the region included in group one. East Suffolk and Ipswich are included in group two while Babergh, Mid-Suffolk and West Suffolk all fall into priority group three.

Chairman of the EELGA, Councillor Linda Haysey, said: "The East of England received 40% less of the Levelling Up funding when compared to other parts of the UK, plus we have lost out to urban areas in other regions who will benefit from a much larger share of crucial transport investments.

"As a result, we now face even greater challenges for some of our rural areas, coastal communities, and towns where significant deprivation and inequalities existed pre-Covid.

"Local authorities in the East of England are determined to keep the pressure on this collectively, and with our MPs, to see that our region benefits more equitably from the levelling up programme ahead."