Agenda and decisions

Minutes of the meeting held on 26^th July 2022.

Report of the Executive Support Member for Skills, Work & Business.

Salford City Council - Record of Decision (Cabinet)

I Paul Dennett, City Mayor, in exercise of the powers contained within the City Council Constitution do hereby approve:

·         The following high level investment priorities for Salford’s allocation of the United Kingdom Shared Prosperity Fund, under the Communities and Place strand:

o   Thriving Salford: District Centres & the Quays (proposed investment range £1 – 1.3m)

o   Green Salford: Parks, Green Spaces and Community Assets (proposed investment range £450 – 700k)

o   Creative Salford: Community Arts, Culture & Heritage (proposed investment range £450 – 500k)

·         That day-to-day management of Salford’s UKSPF activity be delegated to the Strategic Director for Place in consultation with the Treasurer and Executive Support Member for Skills, Work and Business.

The Reasons are:

As part of the Greater Manchester implementation plan for the UK Shared Prosperity fund, a portion of funding – to deliver the Communities and Place UKSPF priority – will be passported to Salford City Council to manage. The transfer of funds is likely to happen in Autumn 2022, once Greater Manchester Combined Authority receives a formal grant funding agreement from central government. The council needs to put in place a framework to establish how the funds can be allocated in an effective and timely way.

Salford will have the following levels of funding to allocate for the period of 2022-25

• 2022/23: £614,962
• 2023/24: £829,466
• 2024/25: £798,599

 This funding will be allocated on a rolling basis, as activities and projects are approved, and funding is drawn down.

Options considered and rejected were: Not applicable

Assessment of Risk:

There is a risk to the delivery of programme outcomes and expenditure, due to the tight timescales (especially in year one) and risk of government delay in approving the GM Investment Plan.

The source of funding is:

Salford’s allocation of UK Shared Prosperity Funds for the Communities and Place priority, which will be £2,243,026 for the period 2022-2025.

Subject to a successful bid, the GM SME Workspaces grant fund.

Legal Advice obtained:

Legal advice has been sought re subsidy control and GMCA’s “summary” view is that, under the Interim UK Subsidy Control Regime, the proposed awards of UK Shared Prosperity Fund Grant Funding from the GMCA to the 10 GM LAs will not constitute a “subsidy”, as it does not satisfy 2 of the 3 limbs of the “Is it a subsidy?” test. 

Salford City Council will take further legal advice when the grant agreement has been produced and routes to market for individual projects are agreed.

Financial Advice obtained:

Treasury advice will be sought once a grant funding agreement has been shared.

 Procurement Advice obtained:

If a decision is made to procure any services procurement advice should be sought regarding Public Procurement Regulations.

HR Advice obtained: Not Applicable

Climate Change Advice obtained:

A Co-benefits decision support tool has been used to determine the impacts of the UKSPF Investment Plan, including both carbon and equalities assessments. No negative implications were found.

The following documents have been used  ...  view the full decision text for item 4.