1.10 Although the need for LIFT is assessed against a number of criteria, the population served by a LIFT is important because it is an indicator that a steady supply of schemes will be forthcoming, making the local LIFTCo viable over the 20 year period of the partnership. The population served by a LIFT scheme ranges from 1 million people within the Manchester, Salford and Trafford area to only 196,000 in Oxford. The Department believe LIFT areas generally need a population of between 300,000 and 500,000 people. Similarly, the level of capital investment through LIFT also needs to be sufficient to attract private sector investment. We found that the Department judged one very deprived area unsuited to LIFT because it had only a combined value of schemes totalling £2 million. To date, the average development cost of completing just one tranche of schemes is around £14 million. Local areas which do not have the critical mass to support a LIFT can consider alternative routes or may consider joining a neighbouring LIFT scheme.