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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.

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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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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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!

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Labour government funds upgrades to Brook House and Hill Lane GP surgeries

I was absolutely delighted by the Labour government’s announcement that two Southampton GP surgeries, Brook House and Hill Lane, are among a thousand nationally to receive funding for a bricks-and-mortar upgrade to their premises. By creating more usable space, this drive to modernise and refurbish practices is a ‘quick win’ and will unlock more appointments for residents.

Right now, many GP surgeries could be seeing more patients, but don’t have enough room or the right facilities to accommodate them. From creating new consultation and treatment rooms to making better use of existing space, these quick fixes will help patients be seen faster.

The national programme in its entirity represents the biggest investment in GP facilities in five years and is only possible because of the difficult but necessary choices made by the government in the Budget, allowing an extra £26 billion investment in the NHS.

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Bringing Southampton voices to the 10 Year Health Plan

The Government launched Change NHS to hear your views, experiences, and ideas, which will shape a new 10 Year Health Plan for England. Since then, the biggest-ever conversation about the future of the NHS, with over 220,000 contributions from the public and health and care staff, has taken place.

I was proud to host a workshop at Oakley Road in Southampton, bringing together colleagues from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s Southampton and South West (SSW) division, along with our incredible local community, to hear how we can best protect and future-proof the NHS for everyone who works in it and uses it right here in Southampton.

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Championing young readers: celebrating Southampton’s talented pupils

As the MP for Southampton Test, I have the privilege of meeting and hearing about the achievements of so many talented young people of all ages across our city. Whether in schools, at community events, or in Parliament, I always want to champion the incredible potential of our children and encourage them to aim high.

Southampton gave me so much growing up as a child from the inner city on free school meals, and I want to ensure that this new generation are supported too.

That’s why I was absolutely delighted to hear about the fantastic achievements of pupils from the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools in the recent National Reading Champions Quiz.