Issue - meetings

Decision:

The Executive agreed:

1.       The revised project allocations of Guildford’s UKSPF grant funding for 2024/25, as outlined in the report.

2.       To delegate to the Strategic Director of Place, in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Regeneration, authority to enter into such contracts and legal agreements connected with the UKSPF and REPF as may be necessary in compliance with Procurement Procedure Rules and within the allocated grant funding budget.

3.       To delegate to the Strategic Director, in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Regeneration, authority to reallocate budget across projects as required in order to meet the grant spend deadline.

Reason(s):

The £790,320 total capital and revenue funding Guildford Borough Council has been allocated from the UKSPF for 2024-25 is a significant sum of money that could have a positive impact on the borough’s local communities and businesses.  

The projects put forward align with the borough’s local priorities and we intend to leverage collaboration with the Council’s partners to maximise value for money.

Other options considered and rejected by the Executive:

OPTION 1: The Executive could decide not to approve the proposed revised interventions for Guildford’s UKSPF grant for 2024-25. However, this would result in a high likelihood that the Council would not be able to use the grant within the funding availability period and would therefore have to repay a proportion of it to the DLUHC. This would also mean that the Council would be unable to advance the proposed projects and make use of the grant allocated within the prescribed timescales to empower our local businesses and communities.

Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or lead councillors and any dispensation granted:

None.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) was a part of the Government’s Levelling Up agenda with all areas of the UK receiving an allocation from the Fund. In 2022, as a Lead Local Authority, Guildford Borough Council was given £1 million with full discretion to spend over three years on capital and revenue projects so long as those projects aligned with the overarching ambition of the Fund. In the absence of the Lead Councillor for Regeneration, the Leader introduced the report.

To date the council had spent funds in support of local business and community groups; running local events, offering grant funding opportunities and developing a Local Cycling Walking and Infrastructure Plan.

In addition to the UKSPF, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) launched the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) in 2023 which allocated Guildford £400,000 to spend on capital grants to support rural businesses and communities During the past year the council had been working in partnership with a number of other local authorities to run a grant scheme to support rural businesses. There was £300,000 of REPF to distribute this year.

The report before the Executive set out proposed projects to benefit from the final tranche of UKSPF and REPF grant funding for 2024-25. Some UKSPF-funded projects were new, and some were ongoing from last year and included a new e-bike scheme for Guildford and the continuation of the Crowdfund Guildford programme. Amongst other projects there would be funding for play and open spaces, including the Youth Games and a play rangers’ scheme that would run in six areas across the borough this summer.

Businesses and community groups in the borough were encouraged to apply as the funding must be awarded by the end of March 2025.

The meeting heard that when the vacancy for the Local Economic Development Officer post was filled then strands of the Economic Development Strategy, such as promoting Guildford as a film location could proceed.

The REPF funding opportunity was being promoted via the usual channels, Linkedin, social media channels and the Rural Forum. Councillors were also encouraged to spread the word.

The Executive,

RESOLVED:

1.        To agree the revised project allocations of Guildford’s UKSPF grant funding for 2024/25, as outlined in the report.

2.        To delegate to the Strategic Director of Place, in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Regeneration, authority to enter into such contracts and legal agreements connected with the UKSPF and REPF as may be necessary in compliance with Procurement Procedure Rules and within the allocated grant funding budget.

3.        To delegate to the Strategic Director, in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Regeneration, authority to reallocate budget across projects as required in order to meet the grant spend deadline.

Reason(s):

The £790,320 total capital and revenue funding Guildford Borough Council had been allocated from the UKSPF for 2024-25 was a significant sum of money that could have a positive impact on the borough’s local communities and businesses.  

The projects put forward aligned with the borough’s  ...  view the full minutes text for item 68

Decision:

1.    Approved the progression of Guildford’s UKSPF and REPF plans, as outlined in the report.

2.    Delegated to the Strategic Director of Place, in consultation with the Leader, authority to enter into such other contracts and legal agreements connected with the UKSPF and REPF as may be necessary in compliance with Procurement Procedure Rules and within the allocated grant funding budget.

Reason(s):

The £1.4 million total funding Guildford Borough Council had been allocated from the UKSPF and REPF was a significant sum of money that could have a positive impact on the borough’s local communities and businesses.

Grounded on insights from local stakeholders, partners and GBC Councillors and Officers, the projects put forward in Guildford’s Investment Plan and REPF Addendum aligned with the borough’s local priorities and intent to leverage collaboration with the Council’s partners to maximise value for money.

Other options considered and rejected by the Executive:

OPTION 1: The Executive could have decided not to approve the proposed interventions (including changes) for Guildford’s UKSPF and REPF. This would make the Council unable to advance the proposed projects and make use of the £1.4 million allocated by DLUHC and DEFRA within the prescribed timescales to empower our local businesses and communities.

Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or lead councillors and any dispensation granted:

None.

The Lead Councillor for Lead Councillor for Climate Change and Organisational Development introduced the report in the absence of the Leader.

The Council was fortunate to have been awarded £1 million from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ (DLUHC) UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) to spend on capital and revenue activities between financial years 2022-23 to 2024-25, with the aim of ‘building pride in places and increase life chances’ through investment on three investment priorities: Communities, Local Businesses and People and Skills. In addition, a further £400,000 had been awarded to the Council from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (DEFRA) Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF), and this allocation was to be spent on capital grants to support rural businesses and communities from 2023-24 to 2024-25.

To access its UKSPF and REPF allocation, the Council had submitted an investment plan and addendum, respectively, outlining the opportunities and challenges of the borough, as well as its investment priorities. The DLUHC had confirmed the validation of Guildford’s UKSPF Investment Plan and the first year’s allocation had been received. It was important that Council planned and divested the funding efficiently as any funds unspent by the 2025 deadline would have to be returned.

The report before the Executive set out detailed plans for the expenditure of both sets of funding. The REPF would target communities and micro/rural businesses particularly to stimulate growth and provide social support. Also included would be decarbonisation loans to support the climate change agenda, in some cases this would be in partnership with Surrey County Council (SCC). The UKSPF would similarly support decarbonisation schemes including support for an e-bike hire scheme for Guildford and Shalford (again in partnership with SCC) which was currently in an advanced project stage, the visitor economy (to include business support and town centre improvements), a ringfenced sum for community and neighbourhood improvements.

The report had been considered and endorsed by the Strategy and Resources Executive Advisory Board meeting on 6 February 2023 and the comments arising from that meeting were set out in the Supplementary Information Sheet.

The Executive was supportive of the recommendations and especially of the e-bike project. It was noted that Guildford’s streets were quite narrow and safety for all was emphasised. The project would work in partnership with the University of Surrey.

The Executive,

RESOLVED:

1.    Approved the progression of Guildford’s UKSPF and REPF plans, as outlined in the report.

2.     Delegated to the Strategic Director of Place, in consultation with the Leader, authority to enter into such other contracts and legal agreements connected with the UKSPF and REPF as may be necessary in compliance with Procurement Procedure Rules and within the allocated grant funding budget.

Reason(s):

1.     The £1.4 million total funding Guildford Borough Council had been allocated from the UKSPF and REPF was a significant sum of money that could have a positive impact on the borough’s local communities and businesses.

2.     Grounded on insights from local stakeholders, partners and GBC Councillors and Officers,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 107

The Strategy and Resources Executive Advisory Board (EAB) was invited to consider a report in respect of the interventions proposed in relation to the Council’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) Government grants.  The report outlined any proposed changes to projects and project spend since the submission of Guildford’s UKSPF Investment Plan in August 2022.  The paper was introduced by the Lead Councillor for Finance and Planning Policy and was presented by the Head of Regeneration and Corporate Programmes.

The EAB was advised that the Council had been awarded £1 million from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ (DLUHC’) UKSPF to spend on capital and revenue activities between the financial years 2022-23 to 2024-25, with the aim of building pride in places and increasing life chances through investing in three investment priorities: Communities, Local Businesses, and People and Skills.

The UKSPF grant was then followed by the launch of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ REPF, which allocated the Council £400,000 to spend on capital grants to support rural businesses and communities from 2023-24 to 2024-25.

In order to access its UKSPF and REPF allocations, the Council had submitted an Investment Plan and Addendum, respectively, outlining the opportunities and challenges facing the Borough, in addition to its investment priorities.  Both the UKSPF Investment Plan and REPF Addendum had been informed by feedback from, and discussions with, a range of stakeholders.  Since the submission of the UKSPF Investment Plan, further discussions with Council officers, external stakeholders and partners had been conducted to develop the projects put forward in Guildford’s Investment Plan.  In addition, there had been changes to some of the projects outlined, which would require approval from the DLUHC should the Council decide to pursue the changes.

On 5 December 2022, DLUHC confirmed the validation of Guildford’s UKSPF Investment Plan.  Having now received its first year of UKSPF allocation, the Council needed to decide if and how it should progress the projects it had proposed in its Investment Plan.

Following the consultations involving councillors, officers and local stakeholders, the following projects totalling £1 million had been put forward for inclusion in Guildford’s UKSPF Investment Plan:

·             Town Centre Improvements - £60,000

·             Community and Neighbourhood Improvements (including Hostile Vehicle Mitigation proposal) - £300,000

·             E-Bike Hire Scheme with Surrey County Council and University of Surrey - £200,000

·             Marketing and Events - £19,500

·             Community Grants - £300,000

·             Visitor Economy - £20,500

·             Business Support - £30,000

·             Feasibility Study - £20,000

·             Business Decarbonisation Scheme with Surrey County Council and other Surrey Districts and Boroughs - £50,000

The presentation given by the Head of Regeneration and Corporate Programmes provided an overview of the two Prosperity Funds and outlined the UKSPF proposed interventions, the proposed Joint Rural Grant Programme, the proposed change to the UPSPF profile spend, the proposed Local Delivery Board and the next steps.

The following points arose from ensuing questions, comments and discussion for forwarding to the Executive:

1.           Although some of the intervention schemes  ...  view the full minutes text for item 59