Councils must pay for plaques for all Levelling Up projects to remind public they are Government-funded

New guidance from the Department for Levelling Up released yesterday orders councils and bodies that are seeking to deliver new projects to clearly and prominently say that they are Government-funded.

It comes after senior Tory figures told The Yorkshire Post that they wanted to see the Government take more of an active role in promoting its projects across the country, rather than relying on MPs to engage with the public through Facebook.

The Government’s guidance document said that logos reading “Funded by UK

Government” and “Powered by Levelling Up” both “prominently and consistently” in all communications and public-facing documents relating to funded activity.

It added that “Union Blue” should be the main colour used and all branding must use the colour palette if more than half of the project is funded by the Government, with the use of red being labelled as “incorrect”.

Branding for any partner organisation, such as construction firms or charities, can only be added if they fund at least a quarter of the project.

Any billboards must include how much Levelling Up funding has been received, and must be approved by department officials.

No more than three months after a project has been completed, a permanent plaque or billboard of “significant size” must be erected for the public to see, and paid for by the council.

The guidance even extends to any business cards produced by beneficiaries of funded projects which must reference funding received from the Government, as well as in email signatures and must be mentioned by any representatives in media interviews.

Whenever a local authority is promoting a project on social media, they must also use the hashtags #LevellingUp and #FundedbyUKGovernment.

“These guidelines must be followed by anyone developing, managing or delivering projects and programmes part or solely funded by the UK Government,” the guidance said.

A Local Government Association spokesperson said: “Councils want to promote and realise the benefits of levelling up in their areas, including adhering to guidance issued by government.”

The Department for Levelling Up was contacted for comment.