Agenda item

To consider a report by Councillor Jason McLellan, Leader and Lead Member for Economic Growth and Tackling Deprivation (copy enclosed) seeking Cabinet approval to further develop the Shared Prosperity Fund Programme, delegate authority to develop and submit Denbighshire’s priorities for inclusion in the Regional Investment Strategy, and for Gwynedd County Council to act as lead body for the submission of the Strategy and programme delivery.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)       approve further development of the Shared Prosperity Fund programme within Denbighshire, and regionally through officer input, in line with the principles as set out in the report;

(b)       provides delegated authority to the Chief Executive and the Lead Member for Economic Growth and Tackling Deprivation to develop and submit Denbighshire’s priorities for inclusion in the Regional Investment Strategy to enable the programme funding to be drawn down, and

(c)        supports the proposal to ask Gwynedd County Council to act as the lead body to submit the Regional Investment Strategy to UK Government and to lead subsequent programme delivery.

Councillor Jason McLellan presented the report seeking Cabinet approval to further develop the Shared Prosperity Fund Programme, delegate authority to develop and submit Denbighshire’s priorities for inclusion in the Regional Investment Strategy, and for Gwynedd County Council to act as regional lead for the programme.

The UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund was part of the Levelling Up agenda and had replaced European Structural Funding.  It was predominantly a revenue funding programme and Denbighshire’s individual allocation was £25,647,958.

The Head of Communities and Customer Services detailed the arrangements for planning and delivering the Regional Investment Strategy with investment priorities focusing on: (1) Community and Place, (2) Supporting Local Business, and (3) People and Skills.  At this stage there was no requirement to identify projects to achieve outcomes, and that element would be undertaken in the next stage of the process.  Following submission of the strategy, a prospectus would be developed detailing the interventions and how stakeholders could draw down funding and deliver projects to help achieve outcomes.  Finally, reference was made to the need for a regional partnership structure to provide assurance regarding appropriate engagement with the process and to oversee delivery of the programme.

The following points were raised during the ensuing debate –

·       the Levelling Up Fund was a capital funding programme and whilst the Shared Prosperity Fund had an element of capital, it was largely a revenue funding programme.  Shared Prosperity funding could be used for revenue projects in such a way as to maximise the impact from those capital Levelling Up projects and ensure best value, and were part and parcel of the same programme

·       a number of staff would need to be recruited to manage and deliver the programme and up to 4% of Denbighshire’s funding allocation could be used to bid for funding for that purpose.  However, it was expected that significantly less than that amount would be spent on administering the programme

·       the report focused on the regional arrangements and structure for delivery of the Regional Investment Strategy as the first stage in the process with the detail of projects to deliver and achieve outcomes to follow in the next stage.  However, a bottom up approach had been taken in developing the regional strategy focusing on local priorities and need in the first instance, following which any common priorities with other authorities would be considered to identify where it might be more efficient or impactful to work together sub regionally or regionally.  Assurance could be taken that approximately 40% of the allocation had been earmarked for investment in local communities (Community and Place priority)

·       Councillor Huw Hilditch-Roberts was keen for elected members to be involved in the decision making process and identified as such in the structure for local delivery arrangements.  The Head of Communities and Customer Services advised that, whilst there was no mandate from the UK Government in that regard, it was in Denbighshire’s interests to undertake local engagement and there was an expectation that City/Town/Community Councils and Member Areas Groups would be involved in promoting the opportunity to bid for funding and identifying projects to be prioritised going forward.  She offered to report back with further information on the local arrangements as part of the next stage

·       the Leader referred to criticisms of the UK Government’s lack of engagement with the Welsh Government regarding the domestically-funded replacements to the European programmes such as the Shared Prosperity Fund, and Councillor Mark Young stressed the issue needed to be addressed given the crossover of responsibility between the two governments and challenges faced.  The Head of Communities and Customers gave assurances that Denbighshire was working closely with the Welsh Local Government Association and Welsh Government colleagues with regard to regional investment, ensuring no duplication and identifying existing targets from various strategies and plans in place.

The Leader thanked members for their contributions to debate on the mechanisms of the investment strategy and how it would be delivered, and highlighted a wider discussion separate to that issue about the replacement of the European funding programmes and interactions in that regard.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)      approve further development of the Shared Prosperity Fund programme within Denbighshire, and regionally through officer input, in line with the principles as set out in the report;

(b)      provides delegated authority to the Chief Executive and the Lead Member for Economic Growth and Tackling Deprivation to develop and submit Denbighshire’s priorities for inclusion in the Regional Investment Strategy to enable the programme funding to be drawn down, and

(c)      supports the proposal to ask Gwynedd County Council to act as the lead body to submit the Regional Investment Strategy to UK Government and to lead subsequent programme delivery.