Key growth areas identified by government

The junior housing minister Ian Wright has announced five priority areas which will work with the government to create desirable locations to live.

The five - the Thames Gateway, the south-west region, Corby, Portsmouth urban south Hampshire and east Lancashire – have been identified as part of the Living Places Partnership.

Both the department for Communities and Local Government and the department for Culture, Media and Sport will participate in the scheme.

"We want to know what people want from their communities and how best to create the places where we all want to live, work and invest," said Mr Wright.

"By working together at central, regional and national level, we can learn valuable lessons on how to build communities.

"Priority places are a vital part of this process and I am delighted that areas across the country will be helping us take this forward."

The joint initiative aims to ensure the communities, which are already experiencing economic growth, have access to facilities such as libraries, sports, arts and museums – as well as making better use of regional cultural heritage.

The areas identified by the government as key growth areas are spread through the country, from the Thames Gateway in the south-east, to Lancashire in the north.

Each has a different set of objectives and challenges, but require new housing, infrastructure and investment to create places which are desirable to live.