Ongoing and secure funding for neighbourhood projects in Bristol is needed for effectiveness Chancellor

It cant be very often that the Chancellor of the Exchequer can be found in Knowle West but here he is ('Chancellor visits Knowle West', Bristol Evening Post, 14 Feb 2008). Mr Darling talked about making effective use of funding in response to the fact that Neighbourhood Renewal Funds for Bristol are being phased out and will not be replaced with money from the new source. Withdrawl of funds is potentially very destabilising as its far from certain that money will now come from regional or arts sources . For example, if the Knowle West Media Centre he visited cant rely on funds being available year to year (it has a £50,000 shortfall at present according to media reports) is this not making it harder for the project to be effective? He needs to acknowledge that there is fully justified need here, and elsewhere in Bristol, and account for the fact that there are very big wealth differences between different areas of the city.