Issue - meetings

To consider the recommendations from the Corporate Policy Committee.

Consideration was given to the recommendations of the Corporate Policy Committee, which had met on 14 July 2022, in relation to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund - Cheshire East Allocation.

Councillor J Clowes proposed an amendment to the recommendations of the Committee, to include an additional sentence which also noted the requirements of additional guidance from time to time.  The Mayor asked if the proposer and seconder of the substantive motion were prepared to accept the amendment.  Councillor S Corcoran, as the proposer of the motion, requested advice from the Monitoring Officer, who advised that the amendment was acceptable.  Councillor J Clowes confirmed she was content to accept the advice, as were the proposer and seconder.

RESOLVED: That

1.    authority be delegated to the Executive Director Adults, Health and Integration to:

            (i)        make any amendments to the Local Investment Plan for the Multiply element of the Shared Prosperity allocation for Cheshire East as are required by government in order to release Multiply funding or as required during the plan period to enable the effective management of the fund; and

          (ii)        accept the Multiply funding allocation for Cheshire East and approve a Supplementary Revenue Estimate of up to £1,535,547, and to allocate that funding as set out within the Local Investment Plan over the years 2022-23 to 2024-25;

2.    Council note the emerging Local Investment Plan for the core element of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocation for Cheshire East.

3.    Council note that the Chief Executive, S151 Officer and Leader are required to approve the core UKSPF Investment Plan once completed to comply with the requirements of the UKSPF government Prospectus and to also take note such guidance as may be issued from time to time ;

4.    authority be delegated to the Executive Director Place to:

            (i)        submit the approved completed Investment Plan for the core UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocation for Cheshire East to the government Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities for the deadline of 1 August 2022;

          (ii)        make any amendments to the Investment Plan for the core UK Shared Prosperity allocation for Cheshire East as required by government in order to release the funding or as required during the plan period to enable the effective spend of the fund;

         (iii)        accept the core UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocation for Cheshire East and approve a Supplementary Revenue/Capital Estimate of up to £11,585,762, (split to be confirmed on approval of the Investment Plan) and to allocate the funding as set out within the Local Investment Plan over the years 2022-23 to 2024-25; and 

         (iv)        manage the Cheshire East UK Shared Prosperity Fund 2022-25 programme, taking all necessary actions in the interests of maximising the impacts of the fund aligned to the fund parameters and local priorities aligned to the core UK Shared Prosperity Fund Investment Plan; and

5.    Council note that Cheshire East Council will act as accountable body for the Shared Prosperity Fund where funds are allocated to third party organisations, for the duration of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28

To inform the Committee of the new UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the process required to secure the funding allocation for Cheshire East.

The Committee considered a report on the new UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the process required to secure a funding allocation for Cheshire East.

The report sought recommendations to Council on 20^th July to provide delegated authorities to approve a UKSPF Investment Plan for 2022-25 for submission to Government, accept the Cheshire East UKSPF allocation of up to £13,121,309 and approve any amendments to the Investment Plan as required to deliver the programme. The funding was not currently reflected in the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2022-26 and would require Supplementary Revenue and Capital Estimates to incorporate it, which the report sought authority to do.

The Government had stated that the amount of funding that the Council will have received by the end of the third year would be equivalent to the funding it would have received under the former European Structural Fund allocations.

Members commented as follows:

§  It was important to ensure that the Local Investment Plan aligned with as many of the Council’s priorities as possible.

§  It was hoped that the timescale for submitting the Local Investment Plan allowed sufficient time to bring forward a number of quality projects.

RESOLVED (unanimously)

That the Corporate Policy Committee

1.    notes the Local Investment Plan for the Multiply (Adult Numeracy Programme) element of UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocation for Cheshire East which was submitted to the government Department for Education on 30June 2022; and

2.    recommends to Council that

(a)  authority is delegated to the Executive Director Adults, Health and Integration to:

                    (i)        make any amendments to the Local Investment Plan for the Multiply element of the Shared Prosperity allocation for Cheshire East as are required by government in order to release Multiply funding or as required during the plan period to enable the effective management of the fund; and

                  (ii)        accept the Multiply funding allocation for Cheshire East and approve a Supplementary Revenue Estimate of up to £1,535,547, and to allocate that funding as set out within the Local Investment Plan over the years 2022-23 to 2024-25;

(b)  Council note the emerging Local Investment Plan for the core element of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocation for Cheshire East;

(c)  Council note that the Chief Executive, S151 Officer and Leader are required to approve the core UKSPF Investment Plan once completed to comply with the requirements of the UKSPF government Prospectus;

(d)  authority is delegated to the Executive Director Place to:

                    (i)        submit the approved completed Investment Plan for the core UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocation for Cheshire East to the government Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities for the deadline of 1 August 2022;

                  (ii)        make any amendments to the Investment Plan for the core UK Shared Prosperity allocation for Cheshire East as required by government in order to release the funding or as required during the plan period to enable the effective spend of the fund;

                 (iii)        accept the core UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocation for Cheshire East and approve a Supplementary Revenue/Capital Estimate  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19