Agenda item

Report of the Director of Economic Development and Planning enclosed.

The Director of Economic Development and Planning submitted a report updating Members in respect of the Council’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund and seeking approval for some of the use of the Council’s UKSPF allocation.

The report listed the schemes for which the UKSPF had been spent or earmarked to, and the amounts allocated within each financial year were as follows:

·         Year 1 (2022/23) allocation £238,805

·         Year 2 (2023/24) allocation £477,610

·         Year 3 (2024/25) allocation £1,251,339

Receipt of the full Year 3 allocation was subject to a threshold approach determined by the amount spent from the Year 1 and Year 2 allocations. It was expected that over 80% of the Council’s 2022/23 and 2023/24 allocation would be spent before the end of March 2024 which would result in the full allocation for 2024/25 being receipted in the new financial year.

Committee was updated on the outcome of discussions by the UKSPF Working Group to date. Detailed information was provided on the schemes that had been recommended for approval and Committee was asked to consider which schemes should be approved to be supported from the 2024/25 allocation. The Chairman opened each scheme up for debate in turn and Members voted separately on each scheme.

Councillors M Graveston and S O’Rourke left the meeting.

Members supported and approved the provision of £80k of UKSPF for the new spinning room at Roefield.

Councillors M Graveston and S O’Rourke returned to the meeting.

Councillor D Birtwhistle left the meeting.

Members supported and approved the provision of £25k to resurface Barrow car park, mark out the parking spaces and install electric vehicle charging points. Members then also supported and approved a further two scheme applications in Barrow as a joint scheme with the total provision of £199,150 for the creation of Barrow Village Hall within the former pub/ restaurant the conversion of the existing cottage into office/ community space. It was noted that in accordance with the Council’s procurement rules the works would need to go out to tender.

Councillor D Birtwhistle returned to the meeting.

Varying opinions were put forward in regard to the application for the provision of £1,340 for the CCTV at the 3C’s café in the castle grounds, which had already been erected by the current tenant. It was considered that the scheme should not be supported using the UKSPF and Committee referred the scheme to the Ribble Valley Community Safety Partnership for consideration under a grant scheme.

Members were updated verbally at the meeting in regard to the progress on the Longridge pump track and events space scheme, that quotes were awaited and a report would be brought to a future Committee. 

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

1.     Agree to the provision of £80,000 of the Council’s UKSPF funding for a new spinning room at Roefield leisure centre.

2.     Agree to the provision of £25,000 to resurface the Barrow car park, to mark out the parking spaces and install electric vehicle charging points.

3.     Agree to the provision of £199,150 for the creation of a Barrow Village Hall within the former pub/ restaurant and the conversion of the existing cottage into office/ community space under one scheme.

4.     Refer the provision of CCTV at 3C’s café in the castle grounds to the Ribble Valley Community Safety Partnership (RV CSP) for consideration under a grant scheme.

5.     Authorise the Director of Economic Development and Planning to progress suitable agreements with the relevant parties in respect of the provision of the approved funding for each of the above approved projects.