Agenda item

Key Decision

Councillor Matthew Relf - Executive Lead Member for Regeneration and Corporate Transformation

Members were updated on the Council’s funding applications and programmes and were requested to consider and approve an adjustment to the capital programme for the Future High Streets Fund projects and to add the Safer Streets and UK Shared Prosperity funding (UKSPF) to the capital programme and revenue budgets.

Cabinet were also asked to consider an additional recommendation for delegated authority to enable future DLUHC funding awards schemes and their associated funding be immediately added to the Capital Programme to avoid project delays.

Members considered the alternative option of declining to approve the adjustments to the capital programme and revenue budgets but this was not recommended, as these actions would ensure delivery of the projects as intended.

RESOLVED that

a)    progress of the Future High Streets Fund and Towns Fund projects, as presented, be received and noted;

b)    subject to approval from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), Council be recommended to approve an amendment of the Capital Programme values for the two Future High Streets Fund schemes as outlined in the report;

c)    subject also to approval from the DLUHC in relation to the Investment Plan, Council be recommended to accept the UKSPF funding of £3.192m noting the indicative revenue/capital split and to grant approval for the Corporate Finance Manager, with DLUHC approval, to vary the revenue/capital split for the purpose of updating the Capital Programme;

d)    the funding update / progress for the Levelling Up and UK Shared Prosperity funding (UKSPF) funding be noted and acceptance of any funding secured from the Levelling Up Fund bids, be approved;

e)    in relation to Safer Streets 4 Funding, Council be recommended to approve the addition of £81k to the Capital Programme and to allow for the Corporate Finance Manager and the Executive Lead Member for Community Safety and Crime Reduction to have the potential to increase the Safer Streets Capital Scheme funding to enable funding to be switched from the revenue allocation to deliver further capital elements should the need arise (this would only be actioned following agreement with the funding provider for the use of the funding and would reduce the amount added to the revenue budget in 2022/23);

f)      in relation to Hucknall Safer Streets Initiative funding, approval be given to accept the funding of £63,333 from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) to undertake the works as set out in the report;

g)    Council be recommended that on DLUHC approval of all future Towns Fund business cases, delegated authority be given to the Executive Lead Member for Finance, Revenues and Benefits and the Corporate Finance Manager to immediately add the schemes and their associated funding to the Capital Programme to avoid project delays, noting that full due diligence will be undertaken prior to progression through the various RIBA stages of each of the projects.

Reasons:

To ensure that Cabinet is kept updated on progress with funding programmes and that spend and projects within the programmes are delivered within the set timeframes ensuring compliance with Constitutional requirements regarding revenue and capital funding approvals.