Issue - meetings

REPORT OF THE SERVICE DIRECTOR – ENTERPRISE

To set out the delegated approval (for Executive Members and Directors) process for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This report also sets out the proposed plans for the 2025/26 UK Shared Prosperity Fund spend allocation.

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:

(1)   Considered and approved the proposed outline distribution of funding allocated to the Council by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for 2025/26 under the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UK SPF) to specific schemes.

(2)   Delegated approval of individual grants and payments relating to schemes funded by UK SPF 2025/26 to the relevant Directors in consultation with the relevant Executive Members as identified with reference to table 8.1. Consider a grants panel, where appropriate, for some of the grant funding.

REASONS FOR DECISIONS:

(1)   North Herts Council will be provided with funding in May 2025 to allocate to schemes proposed in accordance with the revised Guidance for UK SPF for 2025/26 from the MHCLG (provided as Appendix 1 to this report).

(2)   The funds regulations allow considerable flexibility in how the Council allocates funding to each approved Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) activity. On 3rd March, officers presented a report to the Political Liaison Board and to the Senior Leadership team who endorsed the proposal set out.

(3)   We are seeking approval to delegate approval of spend decisions, payments or grants made under the schemes to the relevant Directors in consultation with Executive Members. Once Cabinet approval has been obtained, the individual projects will be managed by the relevant service areas.

Audio recording – 1 hour 11 minutes 33 seconds

Councillor Tamsin Thomas, as Executive Member for Enterprise and Arts, presented the report entitled ‘UK Shared Prosperity Fund Process and Proposed Allocation for 2025/26 Spend’ and advised that:

·       This report sought delegated approval for the 2025/26 UK Shared Prosperity Fund spend allocation.

·       The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) announced further funding in January 2025, with 2025/26 acting as a transitional year.

·       The original programme ran for three years.

·       The programme detailed a range of defined interventions, under three main schemes.

·       The allocation of the Council in 2025/26 was a total of £490,564, of which at least £90,574 must be capital expenditure.

·       Six workstreams could be supported from this application and further details could be found in the report.

·       Overarching proposals aimed to continue the work which had already been delivered and to support the new schemes that would be of benefit to the community. 

Following a question by Councillor Ian Albert, the Economic Development Officer advised that an evaluation of the funds spent in previous years was being undertaken as part of the closure of the 2022/2025 programme. 

Following a question by Councillor Ian Albert, the Enterprise Manager advised that formation of a grants panel was one of the potential projects set out in the report and that she would be happy to discuss this further with Councillor Albert outside of the meeting.

Councillor Ian Albert proposed an addition to recommendation 2.2 to include the consideration of a grants panel.

Councillor Ian Albert proposed as amended and Councillor Tom Tyson seconded and, following a vote it was:

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:

(1)   Considered and approved the proposed outline distribution of funding allocated to the Council by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for 2025/26 under the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UK SPF) to specific schemes.

(2)   Delegated approval of individual grants and payments relating to schemes funded by UK SPF 2025/26 to the relevant Directors in consultation with the relevant Executive Members as identified with reference to table 8.1. Consider a grants panel, where appropriate, for some of the grant funding.

REASONS FOR DECISIONS:

(1)   North Herts Council will be provided with funding in May 2025 to allocate to schemes proposed in accordance with the revised Guidance for UK SPF for 2025/26 from the MHCLG (provided as Appendix 1 to this report).

(2)   The funds regulations allow considerable flexibility in how the Council allocates funding to each approved Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) activity. On 3rd March, officers presented a report to the Political Liaison Board and to the Senior Leadership team who endorsed the proposal set out.

(3)   We are seeking approval to delegate approval of spend decisions, payments or grants made under the schemes to the relevant Directors in consultation with Executive Members. Once Cabinet approval has been obtained, the individual projects will be managed by the relevant service areas.

REPORT OF THE MANAGING DIRECTOR

On 16 December 2024 the Government published its Devolution White Paper, providing details of their plans for local government reorganisation to support devolving power to communities. On 5 February 2025, the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution wrote a letter to the Leaders of all District and Borough Councils in Hertfordshire and Hertfordshire County Council, formally inviting them to develop a proposal for local government reorganisation for the area, setting out further detail on the criteria, guidance for the development of proposals, and the timeline for the process. The first stage is submission of an Interim Plan by 21 March 2025, which has been worked on jointly by the District, Borough and County Councils.

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:

(1)   Noted the current draft of the Interim Plan Submission (Appendix B).

(2)   Delegated authority to the Deputy Leader, in consultation with the Service Director Resources and Service Director Legal and Community, to agree and submit the Interim Plan to Government by 21 March 2025.

REASON FOR DECISIONS: To ensure that the Council is complying with the request of the Secretary of State (Appendix A).

Audio recording – 50 minutes 5 seconds

The Managing Director presented the report entitled ‘Devolution White Paper – Interim Plan Submission’ and advised that:

·       Appendix B to the cover report had been published separately as a supplementary document due to timing of the document being finalised.

·       This paper had now been through seven of the twelve authorities’ approval processes, with all having been approved so far.

·       It was hoped to submit a single submission to local government from the whole of Hertfordshire by the deadline of Friday 21 March.

·       This was an interim response which contained some ideas and options, but nothing had yet been finalised.

·       It was hoped to narrow options down to a preferred option by the end of November 2025 deadline for final submissions.

·       Whilst much of the discussion focused on the local government reorganisation, the importance of the devolution deal for Hertfordshire should not be forgotten, alongside the proposals for new unitary authorities.

·       Following the Hertfordshire County Council elections on 1 May, it was hoped to have more clarity on proposals for the number of unitary authorities.

·       The Council needed to recognise there may be changes requested to the document and therefore flexibility to make these changes would be required by delegated authority.

The following Members asked questions: 

·       Councillor Tamsin Thomas

·       Councillor Val Bryant

·       Councillor Ian Albert

·       Councillor Amy Allen

In response to questions, the Managing Director advised that:

·       He was aware of the impact of the amount of time being spent on this work by Officers.

·       The Council had been working well with other District and Borough Councils to assist the discussions with Hertfordshire County Council.

·       The Interim Plan Submission was available to view on the Hub by Members and Officers.

·       Boundary Commission guidance had been circulated by local government last week and it would be made available for Members to view on the Hub.

·       The ongoing Community Governance Review would provide information on parish and town council requirements.

·       There had been no staff wellbeing issues reported so far and a staff survey was being considered to find out how staff were feeling.

·       A small number of staff had so far been identified for the project team required to support the Managing Director.

Councillor Ian Albert proposed and Councillor Dave Winstanley seconded and, following a vote, it was:

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:

(1)   Noted the current draft of the Interim Plan Submission (Appendix B).

(2)   Delegated authority to the Deputy Leader, in consultation with the Service Director Resources and Service Director Legal and Community, to agree and submit the Interim Plan to Government by 21 March 2025.

REASON FOR DECISIONS: To ensure that the Council is complying with the request of the Secretary of State (Appendix A).