AN East Lancashire parliamentary hopeful has called for greater balance on infrastructure spending.

Figures obtained by the Institute for Public Policy Research showed London received more spending per head on infrastructure than any other English region.

The North West came second at £1,248 per head, but it was still far behind London at £5,426 per head.

According to IPPR’s report, regional imbalances in infrastructure spending are the result of London having big, high-value projects such as Crossrail, Thameslink.

Prospective parliamentary candidate for Rossendale and Darwen Will Straw, a director at IPPR, said: “In the week when George Osborne claimed he was giving a personal commitment to supporting infrastructure in the North, these figures reveal that his Government’s own plans mean London is receiving more than four times as much support per person.

“What is needed is a much greater balance on spending between London and other regions and many more decisions taken locally.”