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Millbrook and Redbridge to get £20 million from government fund – and locals are to decide how to spend it

Steve Reed MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, share the news

Satvir Kaur has secured £20 million of government funding for people in Millbrook and Redbridge to invest in their communities.

As part of the Labour government’s new Pride in Place Programme, these areas will receive £2 million per year over the course of ten years, and will be pioneering a new way of deciding how to spend public money on local projects.

The money can be spent on anything from local park improvements to fixing up empty buildings and high streets, but it is up to the residents to decide what to do with it.

The fund relies on locals from across the Millbrook estate and Redbridge coming together to submit ideas for how to spend the £20 million total, and a call has gone out for people to volunteer to sit on a local board that helps coordinate the project.

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University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust delivers more appointments with this Labour government 

Patients in Southampton Test are benefitting from access to quicker care with this Labour government, with over 44,523 extra appointments delivered in just one year – part of over 5 million extra appointments delivered across England since Labour was elected.  

Local Labour MP, Satvir Kaur, described the news as ‘a huge step in the right direction for patients in our community’ and that ‘once again it is a Labour Government fixing our treasured NHS’.  

Thanks to Labour’s turbocharged efforts across the country – including more community care than ever before, stronger working between GPs and clinicians and record funding into the NHS – the government is reversing more than a decade of decline and poor access to services under the Conservatives.  

The Government’s recent Ten Year Health Plan promised a shift from hospital to community, with more care in local areas like Southampton. For families, this means quicker and more convenient appointments, closer to home and more time focusing on treatment and recovery. The increased capacity across the country has also meant that despite ongoing pressures on the health service, local patients have continued to receive the urgent care they need.  

The government inherited an NHS with some patients waiting as long as 18 months for treatment. It has set an ambition to cut the longest waiting times to 18 weeks by the end of the Parliament, as part of its Plan for Change.  

Southampton Test MP Satvir Kaur said: “For too long, patients in our community have been stuck on the Tories NHS waiting lists or struggling to get that healthcare that they need. There’s so much more to do, but these figures show clearly that this Labour Government is delivering for our community and, step by step, I hope that local residents begin to see and feel the benefit.”  

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “One year ago, I made a promise that we would deliver 2 million extra appointments in our first year – not only did we do this in just 5 months, but we have obliterated that target, carrying out over 5 million.  

“That is testament to the relentless efforts of NHS staff across the country, alongside key reforms and the extra £26 billion we’re investing to get waiting times down for patients.

“Our 10 Year Health Plan will go even further for people in Southampton, driving care out of our busy hospitals and into local communities as we deliver the radical transformation required to fix our broken health service.”  

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Satvir Kaur MP appointed as junior minister

Southampton Test MP Satvir Kaur has been appointed as Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office. The appointment comes shortly after she welcomed a baby girl at Princess Anne Hospital in August.

Satvir said, “There’s nothing like feeding your two-week-old newborn and suddenly getting a call from No. 10. It is hugely humbling and a real honour to be asked to join Darren Jones MP and the Cabinet Office team to help deliver our plan for change. Enormous thanks to Josh Simons for stepping in while I complete my maternity leave.”

Satvir succeeds Georgia Gould MP and Abena Oppong-Asare MP, who have served as junior ministers since July 2024.

While Satvir is on maternity leave, constituents can continue to contact Satvir in the usual way. She will return to Parliament early next year, working remotely in the meantime with her team continuing business as usual.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch; email satvir.kaur.mp@parliament.uk or call the office on 02382 546 357.

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🍼 Baby news! 👩‍🍼

This week my husband and I became very proud parents for the first time and are over-joyed to welcome our beautiful new baby daughter into the world.

Huge thanks to the wonderful team at Princess Anne Hospital and everyone’s support and best wishes during what has been a rollercoaster journey.

We’re looking forward to this new adventure (not so much the sleepless nights!) as I officially go on maternity leave to spend time with my new baby.

Whilst I am on maternity leave, you can still contact me as normal in the usual way. I will be returning to Parliament sometime early next year but will be doing some things remotely in the meantime. I will also be around and about Southampton with my new baby and will still be attending to important constituency duties.

My team will be working as normal throughout and are, as always, ready to help. Please do get in contact if you need us.

Thank you all so much for your understanding and kindness during this very special time for me and my new family.

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View from Westminster: My regular Daily Echo column

I truly value local journalism and our freedom of the press, so I was delighted, and very grateful, to be asked by the Daily Echo to write a regular column. Here’s my latest article, where I discuss the run-up to recess, Southern Water, crime and how I’ll be spending summer in Southampton…

The run-up to the House of Commons summer recess has been a busy time, both in parliament and here in Southampton. In Westminster, there’s been lots going on relevant to us in the city, with legislation progressing and announcements made in areas that hugely effect Southampton.

Following the Royal Assent of Labour’s Water (Special Measures) Act earlier this year, which legislated to change how we regulate the water industry, the government has announced plans to reshape regulation entirely. We know the current system isn’t working and something fundamental needed to change. Right now, our water industry is policed by four separate regulators in a system that’s more about passing the buck than taking responsibility.

Continue reading “View from Westminster: My regular Daily Echo column”
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Welcoming the return of neighbourhood policing

Satvir Kaur, Labour MP for Southampton Test, has welcomed the government successfully making sure every community in their constituency and across the country has a named, contactable police officer. This marks a major milestone as the Labour Government continues to deliver on its Plan for Change.  

As part of Labour’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee which will see 13,000 extra neighbourhood officers and PCSOs patrolling local communities over the next 4 years, people living in Shirley, Portswood, Redbridge, Millbrook and across the city will now have a direct link to their local police force, with dedicated anti-social behaviour leads and new visible patrols in town centres.   

In addition to bolstering police presence in our communities, the Labour Government has also announced the rollout of ten new Live Facial Recognition (LFR) vans to seven forces across the country, equipping officers with targeted, cutting-edge technology to help catch high-harm criminals.  

This technology will now be deployed to forces in Thames Valley and Hampshire (jointly), Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Bedfordshire and Surrey and Sussex (jointly). Police forces including the Metropolitan Police and South Wales have already seen success with their own live facial recognition deployments. The Met reported that in 12 months they made 580 arrests using LFR for offences including, rape, domestic abuse, knife crime, GBH and robbery, including 52 registered sex offenders arrested for breaching their conditions.   

The new units will operate according to strict rules, which ensure they are only deployed when there is specific intelligence to warrant its use.  

Neighbourhood police patrols were decimated across 14 years of Conservative Government and communities were badly let down as a result. The number of PCSOs was slashed by half, while Special Constable numbers were cut by two-thirds.  

The number of people who regularly see police patrolling in their local area has halved in the past decade, and under the last Conservative government, shoplifting soared to record levels - with a staggering 70% increase in their last two years in office alone.  

Through Labour’s Plan for Change, the government is determined to put communities first. There are set to be 3,000 new police officers and PCSOs embedded into forces across the country by the start of 2026, with 65 set to join the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary - thanks to a £200 million funding boost from the Home Office. This marks crucial progress towards the government’s commitment to boost neighbourhood officer and PCSO levels by 50% by the next General Election. 

This announcement is part of the government’s core mission to deliver safer streets for communities across the country. and follows the launch of the Safer Streets Summer Initiative, which is delivering increased patrols and enforcement in over 500 town centres nationwide.   

Labour’s Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper MP, said: “Neighbourhood policing was decimated under the Tories, but through our Plan for Change, this Labour Government is bringing the bobby on the beat back. Already this summer, 500 towns and city centres have got extra neighbourhood police patrols, as part of the 3,000 additional neighbourhood officers and PCSOs we are investing in this year. At the same time, we are bringing in new powers to tackle off-road bikes, shop theft, street theft. For too long under the Tories, town centre crime was treated as low level. Instead, we’ve made it a priority because communities need to feel safe. 

 “We are extending targeted facial recognition, alongside clear safeguards, to help the police catch wanted criminals and suspects for serious crimes. 

  “The 10 new vans, across 7 police forces, alongside the new legal framework we are developing means that new technology can be trialled alongside clear safeguards to better keep communities safe.” 

Satvir Kaur, Labour MP for Southampton Test, said:  “The Conservatives dismantled neighbourhood policing as crimes like shoplifting and street theft rocketed out of control. That is the Tory legacy on law and order, and communities like ours paid a heavy price.  

“I know having a named, contactable neighbourhood police officer and increased street patrols will make a huge difference to my constituents from Portswood to Millbrook.  The number of people who see a bobby on the beat has halved in the past decade, but we all deserve town centres and high streets free from crime and safe for the public.  

“I’m proud that the Labour Government’s Plan for Change is delivering for our communities, putting 13,000 new neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs back on the streets over the next 4 years.” 

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Flood Defence Capabilities in Southampton

Read my letter to DEFRA urging the government to provide funding for the River Itchen Flood Alleviation Scheme (RIFAS).

Southampton is increasingly at risk from coastal, river and surface water flooding. We are uniquely exposed to flood risk due to the city being between the River Test and Itchen, which meet in the tidal estuary Southampton Water. We need to take action now.

Dear Secretary of State,

Re: Flood Defence Capabilities in Southampton

I am writing to you regarding the increasing threat of flooding in Southampton and the urgent need to provide funding for the River Itchen Flood Alleviation Scheme (RIFAS), alongside a broader programme of flood defence and resilience investment for my constituency of Southampton Test and the wider city.

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Labour backs millions of leaseholders by launching new consultation

If you’re a leaseholder in Southampton Test you may have received a recent letter from me on Labour’s newly launched Leaseholder Consultation. I hear from so many leaseholders who are fed up with unclear, and often excessive service charges, or who are dealing with managing agents who aren’t up to scratch. Labour wants to fix this by strengthening leaseholder rights, offering new protections and real transparency. Have your say on leaseholder reform and take part.

TAKE PART IN THE CONSULTATION

Dear resident,

For far too many leaseholders the reality of home ownership has fallen woefully short of the dream – their lives marked by an intermittent, if not constant, struggle with punitive and escalating ground rents; unjustified permissions and administration fees; unreasonable or extortionate charges; and onerous conditions imposed with little or no consultation. This is not what home ownership should entail.

I know this has sadly been the situation for many leaseholders, and it’s through you contacting me, that together, we have kept pushing for more rights for leaseholders. And the government has listened, and reform is coming.

A consultation has now been launched, entitled “Strengthening leaseholder protections over fees, charges and services”, and it needs Southampton voices.

The consultation is in two parts. The first focuses on how to implement key measures in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, including:

– Making service charge demands more transparent and easier to challenge with new standardised service charge demand forms, annual reports, service charge accounts and administration charges and improving transparency around buildings insurance fees.

 – Removing barriers for leaseholders to challenge their landlord and scraping the presumption that leaseholders have to pay their landlords’ litigation costs even when they win their case.

The second part looks at going further, with proposals to:

– Reform the Section 20 ‘major works’ procedure that leaseholders go through when they face large bills for works;

– Introduce mandatory qualifications for managing agents so that all agents have the knowledge and skills they need to provide a good service for leaseholders.

Taken together, the various proposals outlined in the consultation will provide existing leaseholders with far greater rights and protections and will empower them to challenge poor practice and unreasonable charge and fees. These are just one part of the government’s plans to bring the feudal leasehold system to an end. The government also intends to publish an ambitious draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill later this year.

Some parts of the consultation are technical, but you can respond to as much or as little as you wish. The consultation will last 12 weeks and closes at the end of September, here’s the link Strengthening leaseholder protections over fees, charges and services: consultation – Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government – Citizen Space.

As your MP, I’ll continue to press for a fairer, more transparent system for leaseholders. Your experience matters. I hope you’ll take this opportunity to shape the future of these reforms and please do contact me if you need any further assistance. My email is Satvir.kaur.mp@parliament.uk and the office number is 02382 546357.

Best wishes, Satvir Kaur, Member of Parliament for Southampton Test

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View from Westminster: My regular Daily Echo column

I truly value local journalism and our freedom of the press, so I was delighted, and very grateful, to be asked by the Daily Echo to write a regular column. Here’s my latest article, where I look back on my first year as the MP for Southampton Test…

It’s been exactly one year today since Southampton Test residents elected me to represent them and our incredible city, Southampton, in Parliament. It’s been a whirlwind year. At the time I said it was the honour of my life, and it still is! This is my home – the place I was born, where I grew up and where I have always lived.

It’s been my life experiences in Southampton that have prepared me for parliament. From being an inner-city kid and the daughter of a market trader to my family relying on public services and learning how to work hard while valuing community, it’s all set me up for life in Westminster – a place I have often described as Hogwarts meets Mean Girls. 

Every day I’m humbled and grateful for having this opportunity to serve my home city, and every day I try my best to help as many people as I can; take up what matters most to you; champion and fight for Southampton. Most importantly, I want to ensure local people are helping to shape and influence changes made in Parliament, and in return, our communities are benefiting from new and emerging national legislation.

Here’s some of what I have been up to: Locally, I’ve handled over 5,000 individual pieces of casework, helping to advocate for residents and do all I can to address their needs. I have held regular surgeries, speaking to hundreds of you about the problems you face and seeing what I can do to help. I have hosted coffee mornings throughout the constituency, from Bevois and Redbridge to Shirley. I’ve been bringing people together to influence national policy areas, from how we fix our NHS to how we help small businesses thrive, and even discussed important issues like parental leave. 

I love regularly attending community events and have been to many across the year – so please keep inviting me. But my favourite thing has been visiting local schools and hosting young people in Parliament. I’ve been so inspired by their enthusiasm and cannot wait to do more with young people so that they’ve got every opportunity to reach their potential. 

Nationally, I am fully aware that this time last year, many voted for change. This is why I’ve been working hard to ensure Southampton has been benefitting from the tens of billions of pounds being invested in our public services under Labour. From £7.3 million given to Southampton General Hospital and Princess Ann Hospital to deliver vital maintenance work, preventing appointments and operations from being cancelled due to issues with poor-quality buildings.

We’ve also seen our schools’ benefit from recent announcements to invest in their buildings, as well as the rollout of free breakfast clubs. We’re doing more to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour, as this is often an issue residents talk to me about. I’m pleased to see the extra investment in local neighbourhood policing, especially with a focus on extra police powers to tackle issues like retail crime and anti-social behaviour, which for too long have been a problem here in the city. We inherited public services on their knees, but Labour is determined to fix this, and we’ve made a good start.

Housing will always be an issue close to my heart and one that is often raised with me as your MP. I want to use my position to fight for residents, which is why I called out bad landlords in the House of Commons after families at Compass Point were severely let down with substandard living conditions. I also helped residents at Fullerton Place after communication broke down with their local housing association. I’ve pushed for better quality and rights for renters and leaseholders, and for many in Southampton, Labour’s Renters Rights Bill cannot come soon enough – especially as it also bans no-fault evictions, which is the biggest cause of homelessness in our city. That, with a pledge and more investment being announced for more new, affordable and social housing, I hope will help to address the housing crisis we’re in. 

Like so many residents, I care deeply about our environment. It’s why I’ve loved backing Southampton’s ambition to be the first UK city outside of London to officially gain National Park City status. It’s why I’ve been working with companies like DP World to reduce the number of trucks on our roads and encourage more travel by rail. I have been holding companies like Southern Water to account and backing community campaigns for bathing water status so we can have rivers we can enjoy and be proud of again. Labour’s new Water Act and measures like banning water bosses’ bonuses are welcome. I’ll keep pushing for more to be done. I will continue to hold them to account.

It has been a busy year with so much done, yet so much more to do. Whatever this next year brings our way, I’ll keep fighting for my home, our home, Southampton.

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Southampton united for nature 

Southampton came alive in the most inspiring way as the first Urban Wild Festival took place in early June— a fantastic milestone organised by the tireless team behind Southampton National Park City. From the buzzing atmosphere across the city to the inspiring conversations taking place in our green spaces, it was a fantastic reminder of how our community comes together to protect, preserve, and celebrate our natural environment.

Whether it’s the volunteers gardening at St James’ Park, the litter-pickers out in all weathers, or the residents who plant pollinator-friendly flowers in their front gardens — Southampton has a lot to be proud of. These efforts, big and small, show that our city has green credentials rooted in community spirit, passion, and action.

The Urban Wild Festival was a true team effort — bringing together a host of green groups, community organisations, and local changemakers. Across venues and parks, the week long festival celebrated the city’s beautiful parks, open spaces, rivers and lakes, while championing local voices, creativity, and environmental identity.

One personal highlight for me was the Urban Wild event on Southampton Common. Ice cream in hand, I wandered between the stalls, chatting with passionate people who were generously sharing their knowledge about wildlife, conservation, and sustainability. I now know how to build a bat box — and I even learned how to identify some species that call the River Itchen home! I absolutely loved it.

The festival is part of the YouCAN (Youth for Climate and Nature) initiative, made possible through a Climate Action Fund grant from The National Lottery Community Fund. This scheme empowers young people aged 11 to 25 to lead community climate and nature projects. It was also great to meet the Guardians of the River Itchen, a group of young people who are passionate about protecting the wildlife of the river, they told me all about their citizen science which was very impressive. As someone deeply committed to tackling the nature and climate emergencies, I fully support these projects, and I’m looking forward to hosting the Guardians of the River Itchen in parliament next month.

The timing couldn’t have been better either — with World Environment Day taking place a few days later, it was a week full of awareness, action, and appreciation for our natural world. I was proud to stand up in Parliament and formally thank Christelle Blunden and everyone locally who worked so hard to help Southampton gain National Park City status, while Executive Director of the National Park City Foundation, Mark Cridge, looked on from the viewing gallery. Their efforts were nothing short of herculean, and I’ve loved being part of and supporting this journey which has been many years in the making for Southampton to become the UK’s first National Park City outside of London.

Mark Cridge commented on how great it was to hear how Southampton is inspiring other cities to follow our lead. We’re showing the UK what’s possible when a city comes together for people, nature, and the climate. Southampton’s parks, green and blue spaces are among my favourite things about our city, I grew up in the inner city, with no garden, and having access to parks and green spaces was so important to my wellbeing growing up. I’m dedicated to ensuring they are properly protected and looked after for generations to come!