A charity has reported that a 'dysfunctional dynamic' between the UK Government, Scottish Government, and local authorities is obstructing efforts to assist Scotland's most deprived communities.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) stated that significantly improved coordination across all government levels is essential for initiatives like the flagship Pride in Place Programme (PiPP) to deliver meaningful transformation.
PiPP, a UK Government-led regeneration initiative launched in 2025, aims to rejuvenate neighbourhoods, preserve heritage, and empower local residents. The JRF commended the programme's use of local knowledge and emphasis on social infrastructure in allocating funding. However, it noted that approximately 860,000 people in communities facing similar challenges are not receiving support.
The report described the £480 million allocated to 24 Scottish neighbourhoods over the next decade as a 'drop in the ocean' relative to the actual need. It stated: 'The obvious truth is that delivering change will require much more, and much better, co-ordination between the UK Government, the Scottish Government and local authorities. The administration of PiPP, and the parallel Local Growth Fund, have been examples of a dysfunctional dynamic between Westminster, Holyrood and local government in this space. This dysfunction serves no-one, not least the people living in the communities who need support the most.'
Using the UK Government's PiPP methodology, JRF identified 256 'most high-need zones' in Scotland, home to 1.1 million people or 20% of the population. The charity explained that because the scheme only funds neighbourhoods containing more than one such zone, current funding will support only 60 of them. This leaves 196 zones with deprivation and community need scores in the bottom 20%, affecting about 860,000 people, without funding.
The research also revealed stark geographic disparities: in every Scottish local authority area except Aberdeen City, most high-need zones have not received funding. Dundee has received no long-term PiPP funding despite evidence of many small areas of deprivation in the city.
Chris Birt, associate director for Scotland at the JRF, said: 'Funding programmes like PiPP and its predecessors have promised much for communities in Scotland and across the UK. But for them to be successful they must be more comprehensive and better co-ordinated with other similar efforts. One in five children in Scotland are in poverty, and radical action is needed if we are to come close to meeting the legally binding target of reducing this to 10% by 2030/31. With the right level of funding going to the right places, governments could make a real impact and help give all of Scotland's children a better future. Frankly, people living in Scotland's poorest communities deserve a more serious effort from the governments that represent them, which will help ensure that every penny of desperately needed extra funding is spent well. Devolution is 27 years old. It is about time all tiers of government put aside their differences and concentrate on what they agree on: that there are many people in Scotland who could, and should, have better lives and that they all have the power to make that a reality.'
The UK and Scottish Governments have been contacted for comment.
