Issue - meetings

As detailed in the recommendations.

Councillor Healey introduced the report and explained that the Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) 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”.  United Kingdom (UK) Government had allocated £126m to North Wales to deliver the programme between 2022/2023 and 2024/2025, with £11m allocated to Flintshire for the core programme.

Cabinet approved the criteria and process for allocating funding from the programme to projects on 22 November 2022 and gave delegated authority to the Chief Officer (Planning, Environment and Economy) and Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Economy to do so. A rigorous process was undertaken which involved two stages in order to finalise the allocations to worthy projects, a total of 23.

The report provided an update on the allocation of SPF funds to projects and what the expected outcomes of the programme were for Flintshire communities. In addition, the report set out recommendations for how the residual SPF funding and any unallocated funding arising during the delivery of the programme should be allocated.

The Chief Officer (Planning, Environment and Economy) explained that the report had been submitted to Environment and Economy Overview and Scrutiny Committee the previous week and Members were broadly supportive of the content of the report.  The appendices to the report identified the successful projects and an update report would be submitted on a six-monthly basis.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the progress made in developing the Shared Prosperity Fund programme both regionally and locally be noted; and

(b)       That the recommended approach to allocating any residual SPF money be approved and delegated authority be given to the Chief Officer (Planning, Environment and Economy) and the Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Economy to operate that approach and to manage changes within the projects approved.