Seven Scottish towns will be given £20m to regenerate high streets and tackle anti-social behaviour, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has revealed.
The 10-year deal would see money will go to Greenock, Irvine, Kilmarnock, Coatbridge, Clydebank, Dumfries, and Elgin.
The UK government plan involves setting up a town board, bringing together community leaders, employers and local authorities, to decide on spending priorities.
Sunak revealed his plans ahead of the start of the Conservative party conference in Manchester. He said: “The result is the half-empty high streets, rundown shopping centres and anti-social behaviour that undermine many towns’ prosperity and hold back people’s opportunity – and without a new approach, these problems will only get worse.”
The move has been branded a political ploy by opposition parties.
Meanwhile, the Scottish government has said it was “extremely disappointing” that it had not been consulted on how the money could be spent.
A spokesperson told the BBC: “It is extremely disappointing that we have not been consulted on how the investment could be prioritised to complement our ongoing work, and we are unclear on how the priority locations have been identified.
“We will nevertheless work with the UK government and local authorities to ensure the impact of this investment can be properly realised.
“We have already been working with local authorities to revitalise our town centres. Scotland was the first part of the UK to make a commitment to a Town Centre Action Plan and to adopt a town centre first principle, backed by funding from our £325m Place Based Investment Programme.”
