Agenda item

To receive an update on the progress of the Towns Fund.

Charles Jarvis and Jez Goodman gave a presentation on the next steps for the Crewe Town Fund. The presentation covered the following:

-          Actions since the Town Fund announcement – this included media releases, conversations with project leads around timescales for 2^nd gateway, business case requirements, engagement with Crewe Town Board Towns Fund sub-group and Communications sub-group and commenced an independent assessment of project costs.

-          2^nd Gateway tasks and decisions – this would need to include a shortlist of projects and funding, updating Governance arrangements, provide an assurance process, indicate when each business case will be completed, undertake an equalities and environmental impact assessments, and submit a monitoring and evaluation plan.

Everything covered in Gateway 2 would be signed off by the Chair of Crewe Town Board and Cheshire East Council’s Section 151 Officer by 5^th October 2021. Reassurance was given that although timescales would be tight for project leads to submit their costings, these would be met.

-          3^rd Gateway (up to 5 August 2022) – to develop a full Green-book compliant business case for each project. Through additional funding Hatch would still be available to provide key support in relation to the strategic case and very technical case, but only for up to seven of the projects.

-          Governance Arrangements – A high level view of the stakeholder engagement plan would be required to assure government that it is an ongoing process all the way through to implementation.

-          Provide an assurance process – This process would be required to ensure project feasibility, viability, value for money and financial stability. Any projects which would require additional funding would be subject to additional scrutiny as part of Council procedures.

-          Timeline for Business case approval – By the 24 September Projects would be required to indicate when the completed business cases would be ready for appraisal. Business cases would need to be submitted to government by 5 June 2022. Any projects that would require additional funding would before 31 March 2022 would need to submit business cases to Cheshire East Council by 14 November 2021. Once government had approved each project summary, funding would be awarded in stages.

-          Procurement of Independent Consultants – The additional task of appraising projects would require procurement for independent consultants. Cheshire East Council has agreed, in principle to support this cost through a one-off revenue contribution. If the Board were to agree to this approach a consultant would be appointed by December 2021.

Members of the board asked questions and put forward comments in relation to

-          Would the rag rating for the risk assessment be standardised for all projects;

-          What impact does the rag rating have on the final decision making?

-          The requirement to be agile in respect of timescales.

-          How much confidence is there that individual projects will come back with the information required by the 24^th September.

-          Are the external assurance process costs standard practice and are other Boards incurring similar costs?

-          If Hatch can’t support all ten business cases, would a project proceed past the second gateway?

-          Would there be an opportunity to sit with Hatch and ask them to review all ten projects?

The Chair thanked Cheshire East officers for their work and felt confident that there was assurance and a rigorous process in place as an accountable body.

RESOLVED

That: -

(1)  the presentation be noted;

(2)  the Board agreed that the remainder of the capacity funding, plus £10,000 contribution from Cheshire East Council would be used to fund seven projects to the value of £15,000 each, for the development of the business cases.