Levelling up: Sheffield and Wolverhampton chosen for government regeneration plans

Sheffield and Wolverhampton have been chosen as the first places to benefit from government regeneration funding.

Ministers want to help transform derelict areas of 20 towns and cities in England, with new housing and jobs.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said they would become "places people are proud to live and work in" and help reverse "geographical inequalities".

Labour has set out its own five-point plan, saying it wants to fix the "huge inequalities" that exist.

In Sheffield, there are plans to focus on the Integrated Rail Plan electrification and upgrades for journeys between Sheffield and London.

And in Wolverhampton, there will be a focus on reviving the city centre as well as the Wolverhampton to Walsall corridor.

Meanwhile, more than 100 places outside of London will benefit from extra funding for arts and culture from 2023, the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said.

Arts Council England will identify the locations, and DCMS said 100% of the additional funding recently agreed for the group will go to supporting culture and creativity outside of London.

Announcing his Spending Review to parliament in October, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said more than £850m was being allocated to cultural and heritage infrastructure.

The government regeneration of the 20 locations is being funded by part of a £1.5bn fund that had already been announced, with the money being made available from April.

It is part of a £1.8bn sum for regeneration of brownfield land - areas that had been previously developed - which was promised by the chancellor at the last Budget.

Some money from the fund will be used for loans to builders and developers to create 42,000 homes, most of which will be outside of London and the South East.

Part of the government plans include funding 7,800 new homes in the North and Midlands on disused brownfield land.

The levelling up white paper, which is being published next week, is also set to outline plans to expand devolution in England.

Cabinet sources have told the BBC some government figures do not think the plans are ambitious enough, with concerns the proposals repackage certain policies that have already been announced.

"This huge investment in infrastructure and regeneration will spread opportunity more evenly and help to reverse the geographical inequalities which still exist in the UK," he said.

Labour's shadow Levelling Up secretary Lisa Nandy accused the government of using "rehashed pots of money" and questioned why policies were only being announced for 20 areas.

She urged ministers to deal with the "unfolding cost of living crisis" so people can spend money in their local areas, and "young people no longer have to get out to get on".