5 - UK Shared Prosperity Fund – Year 1 Report - Report
Renfrewshire Council · 23 May 2023
Back to Economy and Regeneration Policy Board — 23 May 2023 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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___________________________________________________________________ To: Economy and Regeneration Policy Board On: 23 May 2023 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Chief Executive ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: UK Shared Prosperity Fund – Year 1 Report ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 This report provides an update on the first official year of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UK SPF) in Renfrewshire. The plan for the UK SPF was previously outlined in the Board Report of 22nd August 2022. 1.2 As planned, Renfrewshire Council commenced activity in 2 of the 4 thematic areas (Local Business and Multiply) in January 2023 with the other two themes commencing 1st April 2023 (Communities and Place and People and Skills). 1.3 The report summarises the UK Shared Prosperity Fund activity to the end of the financial year 22/23 and provides details of the ‘credible plan’, to the UK Government requesting carry forward of 22/23 underspend into 23/24. 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that the Board notes the content of this report and: (i) the request to carry forward year 1 underspends into year 2; (ii) the request to move £220,000 from Multiply underspends in 22-23 to People and Skills in 23-24; (iii) the new requirements to support the Clyde Climate Forest project at the sum of £19,400 over two years (2023-25) ___________________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 The Shared Prosperity Fund is a UK wide programme to replace EU funded programmes and to help the levelling up of the UK economy. Three years of funding have been announced for 2022-25 and Renfrewshire Council have been awarded £6,290,987 phased over three years. Within this figure £1,086,395 is specifically allocated to the Multiply Programme. 3.2 At the Economy and Regeneration Board meeting on 23rd August 2022 the board agreed:
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that the SPF Regional Investment Plan will be developed as a Glasgow City Region (GCR) plan in conjunction with all 8 Member Authorities and with all necessary approvals at both regional and local level being in place prior to final submission at the end of August 2022. To approve an outline set of SPF funded proposals at Renfrewshire level which met the Fund’s objectives. 3.3 Formal approval of the GCR plan was received in December 2022 with funding released to Glasgow City Council, on behalf of the City Region, thereafter. 3.4 As part of the conditions of grant a report on activity and finance to the end of the financial year 22/23 is required. The report should also provide the UK Government (UKG) with the details of the ‘credible plan’, requesting carry forward of 22/23 underspend into 23/24. 4. Activity and Finance 2022-23 (Renfrewshire) 4.1 Renfrewshire Council activity is running to plan with the Multiply and Local Business (themes) commencing activity in January 2023 and People and Skills and Communities and Place commencing in April 2023. 4.2 During the first quarter £57,046 has been spent and claimed from SPF. The balance is requested to be accrued and spent in the 23-24 financial year. Progress includes: People & Skills: Started on 1st April 2023, all staff in post and all activity now being delivered. No expected issues or delays, expect 100% spend. Local Business: two staff still to be recruited, but otherwise all running to plan. Possible slight underspend on staffing but will increase grants as a result. Communities and Place: key projects all identified and staff recruitment in process. Multiply: The Multiply Co-ordinator is in post; college programmes have commenced (although with lower interest than expected); and a wide range of community-based provision has been co-commissioned through the Local Employability Partnership with delivery already started. 4.3 With only a few months to spend in the 2022-23 financial year then the remaining Renfrewshire allocation has been requested to move into the 2023- 24 financial year as outlined below: Table 1: SPF underspends 2022-23 Renfrewshire Underspend (capital) £ £66,000.00 Underspend (revenue) £ £545,328.00 Underspend (Multiply) £ £291,694.00 Reprofile £66,000.00 Reprofile £545,328.00 Reprofile (Multiply) £291,694.00
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4.4 A number of amendments have been outlined in the critical plan: Communities and Place: Projects were previously listed under 7 interventions, this has now been streamlined to 4 (removing S5, S6, S8). All budgets and outcomes / outputs have also changed to reflect this. Multiply: Given the additional flexibility offered by UKG in relation to Yr1 Multiply underspend, Renfrewshire Council will allocate £220k underspend to People and Skills as follows: S48: Remove £20k underspend and allocate to People and Skills S32 S51: Remove £200k underspend and allocate to People and Skills S32 The overall outputs and outcomes for Multiply have been reduced accordingly. Reduction of match funding from £2,496,000 to £1,733,000 – primarily the removal of place-based investment match and a slight downsizing of the employability and business match funds. 5. Clyde Climate Forest and ‘Ninth’ Partner 5.1 The Clyde Climate Forest (CCF) will see 18 million trees planted in both urban and rural parts of Glasgow City Region over the next decade. The Clyde Climate Forest covers the eight regional local authorities of East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire. 5.2 The CCF has been endorsed by the Council Leaders of all eight authorities and will connect and enhance the woodland network across local authority boundaries benefiting people, wildlife and climate. 5.3 Following the instruction of the GCR CEOs’ (16 March ’23) options have been developed for UKSPF to fund the ongoing delivery of the Clyde Climate Forest (CCF) project. The £200,000 budget required has been allocated on a pro-rata basis (based on City Deal methodology) across the MAs and been remitted to the GCR Programme Management Office (PMO) to manage. Member Authority Percentage split £200k funding (2 years) East Dunbartonshire Council 5.90% £11,800 East Renfrewshire Council 5.20% £10,400 Glasgow City Council 34.10% £68,200 Inverclyde Council 4.30% £8,600 North Lanarkshire Council 18.50% £37,000 Renfrewshire Council 9.70% £19,400 South Lanarkshire Council 17.40% £34,800 West Dunbartonshire Council 4.90% £9,800 Table 2. CCF funding split by GCR Member Authority
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5.4 With the approval of GCR Cabinet (9 May ’23) the GCR PMO will operate as the ‘ninth’ partner in GCR UKSPF and will be responsible for the management and reporting of the CCF project. 5.5 A grant agreement is being developed with The Green Action Trust (GAT), as the agent for the ongoing delivery of the CCF. 6. Next Steps 6.1 The Renfrewshire 2022-23 report has been submitted to GCR to be combined with the other 7 reports from the other Managing Authorities. With the approval of the GCR CEG and GCR Cabinet, the 6-monthly report will be submitted to UKG on Tuesday 9 May. 6.2 UKG have indicated the GCR UKSPF Year 2 allocation (£19,284,451) will be transferred to GCR on approval of the ‘credible plan’ after which funds can be released to the local authorities. 6.3 Further reports on the progress of the UK SPF will be brought back to board in due course as the delivery plan proceeds. __________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – No additional finance is sought. All funding is accounted for within existing Council budgets. The report provides an update on the UK SPF. 2. HR & Organisational Development – SPF Funding will support a number of Council posts. 3. Community/Council Planning – Jobs and the Economy – Implementation of the recommendations of the report could support more investment and jobs within the local economy. 4. Legal – None. 5. Property/Assets – None. 6. Information Technology – None. 7. Equality & Human Rights (a) The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. 8. Health & Safety – None. 9. Procurement – None.
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10. Risk – Risk Action plans are in place for UK SPF. 11. Privacy Impact - None. 12. COSLA Policy Position – Not Applicable. 13. Climate Risk – UK SPF will support the councils Net Zero Business Grants programme ___________________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers UK Shared Prosperity Fund Update; Economy and Regeneration Board, 23rd August 2022 ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Ruth Cooper, Economic Development Manager Email: ruth.cooper@renfrewshire.gov.uk