Agenda item

UK SHARED PROSPERITY FUND

To consider a report of the Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration.

Decision:

(i) That the Trafford Communities and Place Investment Plan and related projects, which have been submitted to the GMCA as part of the Communities and Place Investment Priority of the Shared Prosperity Fund application, be approved.

 

(ii) That authority be delegated to the Corporate Director of Place to make minor amendments to the Communities and Place Investment Plan projects as necessary, in consultation with the Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration.

 

(iii) That authority be delegated to the Corporate Director of Placeto deliver the Communities and Place Investment Plan projects, including engaging external resources, commissioning surveys and any other works required.

 

(iv) That authority be delegated to the Corporate Director of Placein consultation with the Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration to progress all matters,including submitting projects where required, in relation to the Local Business and People and Skills Investment Priorities.

 

(v) That authority be delegated to the Corporate Director of Place to agree and finalise any grant agreement or other legal agreement required in relation to these funds.

 

(vi) That the Director of Legal and Governance be authorised to finalise and enter into all funding and legal agreements required to implement the above decisions.

 

Minutes:

The Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration introduced the report and informed the Committee the total funding to Greater Manchester through the fund would be around £84M with details of £1.8M in funding for Trafford set out within the report. The Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration listed the projects detailed within appendix 1 of the report which would receive funding.  The Committee were informed by the Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration that a submission detailing the proposed projects had been submitted to the GMCA and to the Government. The Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration shared her concerns on the lack of communication received from Government about when the funds would be made available and assured the Committee that the Council had done all they could to secure additional funding for the area.  The Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration concluded the introduction by thanking the officers within the inclusive economy team who had put the proposals together.

 

Following the introduction Councillor Butt asked why Trafford had not received an equitable amount of the £27M of funding to be allocated for Greater Manchester for communities and place. In response the Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration informed Councillor Butt that Trafford would receive additional funds the other funding allocations for Greater Manchester and that some of the funds would need to be used to cover administrative costs incurred by the GMCA. The Corporate Director of Place assured the Committee that the funding had been distributed in line with Government Guidance.

 

Councillor Jerrome asked whether the budget cuts the Council was facing undermined the funding received through the shared prosperity fund. The Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration responded to Councillor Jerrome and told him that the funding would be for standalone projects that were separate to the Councils standard budget. 

 

Councillor Blackburn asked whether any follow up work was planned after the conclusion of the projects listed within the report and whether the project manager role which was to be created to deliver the projects would be a fixed term post. In response the Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration stated that the project manager role did not reflect a position within the Council’s current structure and was likely to be a fixed term contract. With regards to the follow-on projects the Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration assured the Committee that applications would be made for any additional funding streams which became available for investment in the local communities.

 

Councillor Blackburn asked the Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration to provide details of the plans for Greening Trafford Park. The Corporate Director of Place gave a brief overview of the projected and agreed to arrange an in-depth briefing of that work with Councillor Blackburn after the meeting.

 

Councillor Blackburn asked whether any of the funding would be available to improve Kingsway Park. The Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration informed Councillor Blackburn that the funding was separate to Council’s budget for parks and so would not be available for improvements at Kingsway Park.

 

Resolved:

1)    That the report be noted.

2)    That the Trafford Communities and Place Investment Plan and related projects which have been submitted to the GMCA as part of the Communities and Place Investment Priority of the Shared Prosperity Fund application be approved.

3)    That authority be delegated to the Corporate Director of Place to make minor amendments to the Communities and Place Investment Plan projects as necessary, in consultation with the Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration.

4)    That authority be delegated to the Corporate Director of Place to deliver the Communities and Place Investment Plan projects, including engaging external resources, commissioning surveys and any other works required.

5)    That authority be delegated to the Corporate Director of Place in consultation with the Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration to progress all matters, including submitting projects where required, in relation to the Local Business and People and Skills Investment Priorities.

6)    That authority be delegated to the Corporate Director of Place to agree and finalise any grant agreement or other legal agreement required in relation to these funds.

7)    That the Director of Legal and Governance be authorised to finalise and enter into all funding and legal agreements required to implement the above decisions.

Supporting documents: