Issue - meetings

To consider the update report on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The Committee considered the update report on the progress made with the allocation of UK Shared Prosperity Funding (UKSPF).

The Council was the accountable body for the UKSPF in Cheshire East and was responsible for the management of UKSPF allocation for 22/23-24/25, which amounted to £13,948,936.

The funding was divided into three elements:

-       Core UKSPF allocation of £11,585,762 split across three years, which would be spent on defined types of interventions within three categories – People and Skills, Communities and Places, and Business Support.

-       Rural ‘top up’ allocation of £827,627 for years 23/24 and 24/25 only to be spent on capital schemes supporting rural business, communities, and place.

-       £1,563,749 to be spent exclusively on the Multiply (Adult Numeracy) Programme.

Due to the tight timescales imposed centrally for the delivery of key workstreams and spend, Council on 20 July 2022 had delegated authority to various officers the management of the funds. Projects led by the Council and from wider call outs for further projects from suitable organisations across the Borough had been selected to receive UKSPF funding in several tranches. The appendices to the report set out the schemes to which funding was allocated to and the progress with these schemes.

It was noted that funding constraints to spend the UKSFP had been set by the Government which had caused delays in funding being allocated. The Committee felt that parish councils and community groups may not have the knowledge or resources to respond quickly to calls for interest and applications, and it was suggested that engagement and training be done with parish councils and community groups.

It was noted that the Town Centre Vitality Plans set out ideas for improvement and a supporting Tool Kit had been developed which could be used to help develop bids for UKSPF funding. It was agreed that that a link to these would be circulated to committee members.

RESOLVED: 

That the Committee note the progress made in allocating and utilising the 2022-25 Cheshire East UKSPF allocation; together with the issues faced in pursing spend by March 2025; the risk of underspend; and the mitigation proposed to reduce that risk.