Issue - meetings

As detailed in the recommendations, with an additional recommendation (4):

That UK Government be written to on the allocation of funding with a neighbouring authority receiving twice as much as Flintshire per head.

Councillor Healey introduced the item and explained that the Shared Prosperity Fund would deliver £2.5bn of investment until March 2025 across the UK.  The aim of the programme was “to build pride in place and increase life chances”.  UK Government had allocated £126m to North Wales to deliver the programme between 2022/23 and 2024/25 with £10.8m allocated to Flintshire for the core programme.

UK Government had set a challenging 16 week timescale to develop and submit a high-level Investment Strategy for the programme.  The deadline was 1^st August 2022 and delivery of the programme was estimated to need to start in September 2022.

The Chief Officer (Planning, Environment and Economy) explained that the report provided an outline of the programme, a summary of the work done to date to prepare for it and the next steps required to meet the UK Government’s requirements to allow the funding to be drawn down.  The investment priorities set out by UK Government were:

·         Community and Place

·         Supporting Local Businesses

·         People and skills

A regional budget allocation had been made available by the UK Government and was detailed in the report.  In response to a comment, the Chief Executive said he would draw attention to UK Government on the allocation of funding, with a neighbouring authority receiving twice as much as Flintshire per head.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That approval be given to further develop the Shared Prosperity Fund programme within Flintshire and regionally, through officer input, in line with the principles set out in the report;

(b)       That delegated authority be given to the Chief Officer (Planning, Environment and Economy) and the Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Economy to develop and submit Flintshire’s priorities for inclusion in the regional Investment Strategy to enable the programme funding to be drawn down;

(c)        That 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 be supported; and

(d)       That UK Government be written to on the allocation of funding, with a neighbouring authority receiving twice as much as Flintshire per head.