Agenda item

The report of the Director – Development and Economic Growth is attached.

It was RESOLVED that:

a)                   the UKSPF activity delivered in 2023/24 be recognised;

b)                   the proposals for UKSPF in 2024/25 be endorsed; and

c)                   sign-off of refinements to proposals for 2024/25 be delegated to the Leader, Chief Executive and S151 Officer, with both the revenue and capital implications reported in future financial reports to Cabinet and the Medium Term Financial Strategy to Full Council.

The Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Business and Growth, Councillor Brennan presented the report of the Director – Development and Economic Growth, outlining proposals for the final year of funding (2024/25) for the UK Shared Prosperity Funding (UKSPF) programme, which followed on from previous reports to both Cabinet and the Growth and Development Scrutiny Group.

Councillor Brennan confirmed that this was the final year of a three year programme, with an allocation of £1,635,250. The report related specifically to schemes directly commissioned by the Council, as the grant pot element for community groups and businesses had already closed, with applications being assessed, as detailed in Paragraphs 4.1 to 4.3 of the report. Councillor Brennan advised that the remaining pot available for direct delivery and commissioning by the Council stood at £1.2m and the importance of ensuring that any proposed schemes would be deliverable was noted, as all spending had to be completed by the end of March 2025. To manage that, Councillor Brennan advised that four themes had been identified, as detailed in Paragraph 4.7 of the report, together with details of the proposed projects, which it was hoped would deliver a wide range of outcomes related to the Council’s Corporate Priorities and the Investment Plan, which had been submitted to Government in support of the funding process. The list might be subject to change, if circumstances required, and Councillor Brennan advised that it was therefore being recommended that the Leader, Chief Executive and S151 Officer be granted delegated authority to make those changes.

Cabinet was advised that there were also two jointly commissioned projects with Gedling and Broxtowe Councils, the Rushcliffe Accelerator Business Support Programme and the Active Work Programme. As well as those schemes, Councillor Brennan stated that the employment and skills funding element of the UKSPF was starting in Year 3, to replace the previous European Social Funded projects, and this element would now deliver a number of local schemes as detailed in Paragraph 4.11 of the report. Councillor Brennan concluded by advising that the programme would be overseen by the Rushcliffe Growth Board, and Councillors would continue to be updated. 

In seconding the recommendation, Councillor Inglis acknowledged the benefits that UKSPF funding had brought and hopefully would continue to bring and referred to the hard work involved for officers in processing the applications already received. Councillor Inglis hoped that everyone in the Borough would benefit in the future as those projects came forward.

Councillor J Wheeler referred to the achievements over the previous two years and the difference it had made to local communities throughout the Borough, by providing additional projects, in addition to statutory services. The proposed wide range of funding for the final year would make a real difference to the Borough and it was hoped that in the future, there would be other opportunities to carry on.

Councillor Upton echoed Councillor Wheeler’s comments that it was pleasing to see funding spread across the Borough and considered this UKSPF funding to be more focused on smaller communities than the previous European Union Regional Fund.  The Leader agreed with those comments.

It was RESOLVED that:

a)                   the UKSPF activity delivered in 2023/24 be recognised;

b)                   the proposals for UKSPF in 2024/25 be endorsed; and

c)                   sign-off of refinements to proposals for 2024/25 be delegated to the Leader, Chief Executive and S151 Officer, with both the revenue and capital implications reported in future financial reports to Cabinet and the Medium Term Financial Strategy to Full Council.